CG's Pet Shop of Chaos
by Crimson Grave
Summary: The collection of all the 'One'-shots and various other muses that have hit me over the years. Expect to find anything inside, from the categorized Naruto and Twilight, to things from ZnT, BtVS, RWBY, BRS, FE, and much more... once I get around to editing them and posting them. Enjoy the chaos inside and see if you like anything enough to adopt it!
1. Naruto - Caravan Palace

**A/N:** This brainchild came along thanks to reading **"Uzumaki Naruto: Dawn of the Gamer** By: **Legend of the Kyuubi"** , while listening to **Caravan Palace – The Lone Digger**. For this brief idea, I will be using similar teams. Team 7 will be Sakura, Sasuke, and Choji, led by Kakashi. Team 8 will be Naruto, Ino, and Hinata, led by Anko. Team 10 will be Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino, led by Asuma. Although born of a Gamer fic, this will not use any such things. This is bordering on a crack fic idea though with some of the concepts and actions I am going to have them pull off.

For those waiting for me to continue my main series. I will. I have just been dealing with A LOT since then. I will explain in more detail in said stories for the followers. This will just be a place for me to post my many random ideas I have written prior and during my writing of SL and Louise... I have not yet finished Fourteen for SL. I have actually written up to 7 for Louise... and decided I did not like how it was going, and will probably have to rewrite a crap ton of it, if not all of it.

I will post something for both, soonish. Once again, my most sincerest apologies.

Oh, and if you want an idea of the outfits. Think **Chang** from **Black Lagoon**. **Shenhua** from the same series, but with a fur lined jacket. And a standard **Kingsman** suit from the titular series.

Enjoy!

* * *

Teams 7 and 10 stood there conversing while trying to avoid the eyes of all the other potential Chunin in the room with them. Except of course for Sasuke who stared everyone down in his arrogance, believing himself to be superior.

Kabuto had just prepared to approach his target by playing the supporting older Genin to his group.

Sadly his plans were foiled completely when both doors suddenly burst open smashing into their respective walls and cracking them. From each door there came a shadowed figure, owing to the suddenly bright light flooding from the corridor every one of the present Genin had walked in through.

The blond haired figure on the right wore what appeared to be the get up of a Chinese Mob Boss, long white scarf hanging on the sides of his open ankle length black coat, a pair of shades lying on his nose suddenly lit up along with cigarette. The small flame showing the Leaf Insignia on the metal plates on his black fingerless gloves and sown unto his coat over the heart. His black Oxford Dress shoes also showed the Leaf Insignia on the metal buckle clashed over the laces.

He started slowly observing everything in the room after lighting his cigarette.

The other figure, located on the left, was clearly female based on her bust. Sadly the figure was hidden partially thanks to well-fitting black three piece suit with white shirt and black tie tucked under the vest. Long black dress pants to her own pair of black Oxford Dress shoes. She also had a pair of black fingerless gloves with a Leaf Insignia engrave metal plate on the back. Unlike her partner, she did not have any metal plate over her heart or shoes. Instead, lying across the black bandages covering her face above the nose, where one's eyes reside, sat her Leaf Headband, as well as on the band wrapped around her Fedora. Both eerily lit up thanks to the large lit cigar she was currently savoring. The glow just helped make the unnerving grin look even more pronounced on between her pale white skin and black-blue hair.

She seemed to simply stare ahead, while also giving the feeling that she was looking each of them in the eye.

Not but a few seconds had passed, although some of the present Genin were beginning to gather themselves to respond or comment on the relatively grand appearance, when the third member just sauntered into the room, the light framing her from behind reflecting off of her fine ankle length, purple dress with a large split on the sides, showing off her long legs. A white fur trimmed mini-coat covering her arms and shoulders with the Leaf Insignia on each shoulder, a medium sized cat with a flame styled color scheme and a Leaf Headband as a scarf lying across her right arm, her left petting it on the head. Her blond hair flowed behind her in a single smooth wave, her right eye covered by a parted bang, the other aquamarine eye somehow managed to convey the sense of looking down on everyone before her. As if she was staring at filth, and with the manner she carried herself, and presence, no one seemed able to refute her.

Before anyone could gather their balance and react to the trios' appearance, Ibiki and the proctoring Chunin all appeared in a rather flashy smoke cloud. Shouting for everyone to shut up and sit down… pointlessly, as no one was facing the front, and everyone was already silent.

Nonetheless, everyone proceeded to their assigned seats, and prepared for the first part of the Chunin Exams. Even as they sat down and prepared, thoughts ran rampant as to the last three potential Chunin to arrive at the test. What with their appearance and posture.

None less than their fellow Konoha Rookies.

'What is Ino-pig thinking coming in like that to the exams? Does she think that she will get Sasuke-kun's heart with her flashy dress?'

'Hn.'

'Team 8 looked pretty cool. I wonder if they could tell me where they got their suits from.'

'Damn that Dobe. I wish we had thought of using a flashy entrance like them. Shika could probably plan it, and Shino has that whole 'cool' thing. Although Shika would probably think it is too troublesome.'

'Troublesome.'

'At first look, one would think it is illogical to draw attention as they did. Upon a secondary consideration though, they built an image that forces others to be cautious or warry around them, rather than curious and challenging. It puts all their opponents on an off footing. I will have to bring this line of thought to my teammates during our next meeting. I feel it is a liable action.'

'SUCH YOUTH! I WILL HAVE TO RUN AROUND KONOHA TWO HUNDRED TIMES ON MY HANDS! AND IF I FAIL THAT I WILL HAVE TO DO ONE HUNDRED PUSH-UPS WITH MY TONGUE! Tenten never lets me practice that last one, once I hit the twenties, she is rushing me off to her house. Not that I dislike her actions.'

'I am not sure what to think of them. I am tired of all the girls around me being fangirls, but I can't decide if those two were fangirls, seduction and infiltration specialist, a prissy noble with her bodyguards, or a bunch of pranksters screwing around with everyone… Or could they possibly just be so sure of themselves that their impractical outfits is their way of setting a handicap to make this somewhat of a challenge? URGH! I am wasting too much time on this, focus on the exam, worry about the weirdoes later.'

'What is failure doing covering her eyes. She is fated to be such a failure that the only positive of her existence, she hides.'

'Damn brats stole my entrance. How am I supposed to scare them all to quit and win the bet with Anko now? Guess I will have pull out all the tricks in and OUT of the book for that last question.'

* * *

Over in the lounge for the Jonin-sensei the reactions were quite a bit more vocal, but surprisingly similar.

"Those are my brats! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Anko… did you actually spend time teaching them how to make entrances?"

"Of course. It is an important skill for proper shinobi to be able to make proper entrances when outside of missions."

"Shouldn't you have instead used the time to teach them skills to survive in the exam instead?"

"Bah, my brats will wipe the floor with anyone in that room, except that creepy bloodthirsty red-head. He would provide a good fight for them."

Baki looked up at that. "Gaara has killed Genin, Chunin and even some Jonin. There is no one in this exam who could challenge him."

"I am actually pretty sure that besides my brats, Bushy Brows Jr. and that fucktard Kabuto could give Gaara a challenge. Well, if Bushy Brows allows Jr to go all out, and Snake Pedo allowed Kabuto to do the same."

"YOSH! MY STUDENTS FLAMES OF YOUTH WILL LIGHT A PATH TO VICTORY!"

"Maa Maa, don't forget that Sasuke is in the exam as well."

Quite a few of the Jonin just turned to stare at him, while Anko exploded into gratuitous laughter.

"Please, even IF he was the Rookie of the year for his class, with you as his teacher, I am certain that a third of the examinees will beat him without a problem. All of Gai's team, mine, Lazy and Bug-boy from Asuma, Creepy Red-head and Fan-girl, and Kabuto are all nearly assured victory so long as they don't gloat or do something stupid. Or in Lazy's case, if he stops being lazy for a bit. As for the others." Anko just shrugged.

"Oh? Want to make a bet that Sasuke will come out ahead."

"Oh, I have no doubt he will probably make it to the finals." Her pointed look spoke volumes as to WHY that shit-stain would make it to the finals. "He will not succeed though."

"Very well, what are we wagering?"

"In the event of a preliminary, all of my brats passing to the finals, so long as they don't face each other, and if even one weak team passes, which considering Kabuto is carrying those two arrogant fools, I am sure they will, then Sasuke will also pass. Otherwise he will pass anyway, probably facing one of his teammates."

The entire lounge froze at that. She may as well have come forth and stated that Sasuke would only pass by facing a weakling, and that they were cheating to set him up with an acceptable target.

Kakashi's eye turned cold at that. "You overstep yourself Mitarashi."

"You should have just taken Sasuke as your apprentice, that way only one Genin would suffer your inadequacies as a teacher, instead of three. Although young, Asuma's team is still properly trained by their clans, and he has drilled teamwork and strategy into them. So they have a chance. I have practically tortured my brats into becoming strong, I have done less to BREAK prisoners, yet they endured and bloomed under it. They deserve this opportunity. They earned it. Your team though? You constantly show up late to their meetings, where all they do is sit and wait. No communication or training. You do a D-Rank mission, and then leave them alone. You have trained them in nothing, expecting them to automatically understand that they need to learn teamwork during the D-ranks, and use the time prior and after the mission to train themselves in what they need. NEW FLASH! One is Fan-girl with no idea what to do. The other is a broody revenge obsessed fool who believes that everyone is below him. The last is a peaceful child who wouldn't hurt a fly if he could help it. In the four months you have had them, they have had NO improvement as compared to being alone. You are a great shinobi, a true genius. The problem Kakashi, is that most are not like you, not even Sasuke, despite your beliefs. NONE OF THEM ARE GENIUSES LIKE YOU. THEY NEED A TEACHER. Instead, they got you. My only hope is that pinky and chubby don't die pandering to your and the Uchiha's ego and arrogance."

With that Anko turned around, Ibiki was finishing up his part of the exams, and she wanted to see how her team played things out. The rest of the Jonin in the lounge didn't quite know how to respond. On one part, most if not all Konoha shinobi thought she had gone too far, even if they partially agreed with her, there was a time and place, and a lounge with foreign shinobi was not one of them. On the other hand, the smarter ones, including Kakashi, understood what she really meant by revealing this here. She was truly worried they would die, heck, despite her boasts, like any truly good Jonin-sensei, she was worried for her brats too. It only takes a single slip up for a Kage to die to an Academy Students kunai. She wanted Kakashi to pull them out.

Sadly he could not do that. He was already regretting his actions, he definitely could have done better. However, he could not pull his team out. Sasuke was a flight risk, and pulling him out of the Chunin exams would only exacerbate the situation. He started wishing the damn Hokage and council hadn't forced him to be a Jonin-sensei once again.

They all turned to watch as Ibiki's exam ended. All the teams mentioned so far having passed. While the foreign shinobi considered the words of Konoha's Snake Mistress, and the Konoha shinobi started getting angry at her, no one noted how Kakashi's eye never once went back to his little orange book.

* * *

"So once again, congratulations on passing the first exam. I will now leave you to the Proctor for the second exam."

That said, Ibiki and his chunin assistants all disappeared in a flash of smoke. Except Kankuro's puppet Chunin. Everyone started looking around, or looking directly at the lone 'chunin' who remained, until Temari bashed Kankuro over the head, forcing him to recall it, creeping a few of them out.

"Thank you for retrieving your toy, I would hate to have to kill you for ruining my entrance."

The voice reverberated from all around them, or even from inside their head, they all looked around wildly, before they all as once, seemingly on instinct, looked towards the front, where a pair of red eyes suddenly popped open, followed by a wide deranged smile underneath complimenting the rather disturbing glint shining in those floating red orbs. Raven locks flowed around and apparently behind the visible facial details. Bandage wrap by bandage wrap appeared in no discernable order, until the Jonin stood before them.

"I am Kurenai, and I will be your proctor for the second exam, in your hands there are simple directions towards your next destination." With a start, and a few gasps, except from six of the present contestants, they all looked towards their hands that suddenly held a paper with a crude pictogram that they imagined was the directions. "You have sixty minutes to prepare for the second exam and get there. If you decide to get there early, you cannot leave to prepare, you will be stuck there till we begin." With a blood curling ear-to-ear smile that no one, outside of Team Anko and their sensei, had ever seen before on Kurenai's face, and according to the Jonin watching, (Except for Anko who was shivering in excitement and anticipation for the night after the second exam.) should never again be seen. "Don't get lost or be late, I would hate to have to explain to your senseis about where you were once they realize that you are neither at the exam nor your assigned accommodations." More than a few of them shivered as the insinuations hit home. "Tuda-loo~~"

With that, the entire world seemed to waver for the Genin, before they found themselves outside of the academy, instead of the room where they had just taken the first exam and spoken to with the crazy lady. They all just stood there in shock and confusion, trying to understand what had happened. Except for three teams, two of which simply slipped out without anyone the wiser, the third was exasperated with his two idiot arrogant 'teammates' that he wanted to experiment on in the hopes that he would find a way to cure absolute and misplaced arrogance and stupidity.

"Wow, I got to say, when we helped set up Anko-sensei with Kurenai-san, I did NOT expect her influence to be so pronounced, and so quickly."

"Why? Except Naruto-kun, she has known us for all of four months, and we are already doomed, Ino-chan is like a mini blond, more sophisticated Anko. Naruto is like a kinder and male Anko."

"And you're a quiet Anko with the Byakugan."

"Yes, so is it so surprising that Kurenai-san, who has been with friends with Anko-sensei for years, would be affected?"

"Precisely BECAUSE she has been around Anko for so long without effect that I thought she would be fine. I even thought that Kurenai-san's stabling influence would multiply with a closer relationship!"

"Oh Naruto, you still need to learn more about women. It was without VISIBLE effect. Anko has burrowed deep into Kurenai over the years, slowly altering her until now. Kurenai merely withheld a small mask that she kept up to keep Anko at bay, and to try to convince herself and the rest of Konoha that she was normal, but like her Genjutsu, it only takes knowing the truth to break it easily. She may have been able to get together with Asuma, and through denial, have a seemingly happy and normal life with him, and a subpar Jonin and Genjutsu Mistress. Thanks to our efforts though, we have stripped her of the masks and illusions she had imposed on herself. Now look at her. In that short time since we forced her to accept the truth, she has invented a half-dozen Genjutsus and is quickly coming up to match the fabled Itachi in terms of Genjutsu mastery, plus, she has kept even ANKO satisfied every night. You have to accept that Kurenai was already a lost cause long before we got to her. We merely saved her from wasting time with lazy and subpar men like Asuma, possibly a long time if she kept suppressing the truth and deluding herself like she was. And if she did manage to fool herself, then she would never become as awesome a Genjutsu user as she has now or will be in the future, she would not have been in as happy and successful relationship as she is in now. Not to mention that Anko would continue hurting herself and not being as happy and cheerful as she is by not actively going after Kurenai. Plus, Kurenai gives us breaks by taking Anko every now and then. So, except for Asuma, it is a win-win-win-win situation."

"Oh, I never doubted it was a win-win situation. Just surprised how Kurenai went from the Prude Ice Queen Genjutsu Mistress, who constantly lashed out at purely sexual relationships, and homosexual relationships and keeping a calm cool face towards everything, rarely smiling or showing overt emotions. Into a Genjutsu Anko... Does that mean than Anko-sensei is in a relationship with herself?"

Both girls responded by smacking the blond male Anko on the back of the head before they walked into Ichiraku's for a quick lunch before heading to Training Grounds 44. Thanks to Naruto and Anko's experiences at the hands of Konoha's civilians, the act of having three different sealing scrolls with duplicates of their travel gear on them at all times was now a habit. From clothing and ninja gear to sustain them for a yearlong war without reinforcement or resupply, to their specialized camping sets and traps, preserved foods and spices, etc. So there was no need to 'prepare' for anything, they were prepared for randomly running across Orochimaru on a daily basis.

Kurenai waited for the teams to show up. She had a standing bet with Anko as to how many she could scare prior to them actually taking the second exam. Her face involuntarily started twitching into a deranged grin. Damn that Anko and her kids. Years she had been friends with the Snake Mistress, remaining normal and sticking to the morals that her civilian mother taught her. Years she fooled herself into thinking that their relationship was a good friendship where she merely kept Anko relatively stable, and informed on the gossip around Konoha, while Anko kept things fun and interesting, while also protecting and helping her up when things got too tough. Sure, despite her constant rebukes of Anko's relationships, and general tendencies, she noticed that over the years of failed relationships and put downs from her 'comrades' for being a kunoichi, and being friends with the Snake Whore, Anko always seemed to sit a bit closer, be a bit more touchy feely. The Ice Queen of Konoha though stood firm by her mother's teaching. A woman must marry a man, and only have physical relations with their husband.

Then that one night, right before Asuma returned from the Twelve Guardians, after a particularly bad break-up. Too much alcohol was found, and she woke up beside Anko, both in their birthday suits, and despite her claims at not having remembered anything, she not only knew what had happened. She remembered in crystal clarity. Kurenai believes that Anko also knew she was lying, possibly took it as a rejection now that she looks back, considering how she started sitting at the proper distance that 'good girls' put between people. But what was Kurenai to do? Tell Anko how the sudden space between them was too much, despite it being what Kurenai had always breached as what should be upheld. That despite not following her mother's teaching on celibacy before marriage, when she looked back on her sexual partners, only that night with Anko truly felt like she had made love with someone? She couldn't. It was wrong. It was amoral. She couldn't accept that kind of a relationship.

Then Asuma came back, her old academy crush, and he seemed to return her feelings. So she shoved the truth down, like she had down before, and went out with Asuma. He was a true gentleman, even if his smoking habit was annoying. He took things slowly, which is what she had always preached as what a relationship should be like. Held the doors open, picked up her chair for her, sent flowers and invited her to romantic dinners, treating her like a proper woman, before finally culminating into a night shared together in her home. It was all proper, as it should be.

So why is it that every single bloody time she compared him to Anko!? Anko who would cackle in public and hang on the taller woman's shoulders, ignoring personal space completely. Anko who would kick the doors open drawing attention to herself before stomping in, whose brain would never even consider pulling the chair for her partner, who only ONCE sent flowers to her, which she still kept on her table, to see every time she opened her apartment door. Anko who would more likely spend a night with her at a shinobi bar, dango shop or Yakiniku place instead of a romantic restaurant. Anko who treated her like the battle hardened shinobi she was. Anko who would bed her as soon as possible. Anko who would properly make love to her, unlike the others before, and after, like Asuma.

Even knowing all this in her heart, she still would have kept the status quo, and probably force herself to end up with Asuma. The teachings her mother had pounded into her, for her entire childhood were not easily rejected. Kami-bless those kids of her. Despite her being her unhinged sadistic psychotic self to them, they saw the kind hurting woman underneath who wanted to make sure that her charges survived the horrors that awaited them outside the walls of Konoha. They saw the woman, who despite being despised by the majority of the village, still remained loyal to it, and would give her life for it. They saw the woman who, despite truly loving her, wanting to be with her so much that it tore at her more than the cursed seal that Orochimaru left on her, would keep her mouth shut and keep her distance. She would hurt herself, happily and with a smile on her face, in the belief that the woman she loved, was happy. That Kurenai would be happier if she was with Asuma instead of her. Those kids saw the truth. They saw underneath the underneath, and they cared, loved enough, to take it on themselves to at least try to help her.

Once they found the truth she had tried to hide, they broke into her. It hurt her to have her masks torn from her. It hurt as they showed her how much time she had lost in trying to hide the truth. It hurt as they told her how much she hurt Anko, how much she hurt the woman who had captured her heart years ago without her knowledge. Even as she they shoved it all down her throat, and she acknowledged it all, Anko saw that she was in pain, and after partially explaining the situation, almost went off the handle to show her Genin team why there was a tag in all the bingo books in her entry claiming "DO NOT GET CAPTURED BY HER AT ALL COSTS.". Kurenai finally accepted everything that night, she forcefully tore at all the chains and illusions she had attached to herself.

Yuhi Kurenai was in love with Mitarashi Anko. She had been in love for a long time now, and even now, as her love chose her over her kids, it merely justified her decision in who to fall in love with. Before Anko made it three feet away from the table, Kurenai had tackled her to the ground and tore at her clothes with her teeth.

That night both were happy and satisfied since that one night long ago. This time, Kurenai leaned over Anko in the morning and kissed her gently on her lips and acknowledged it all with a simple sentence. "Good morning love."

It was the first time since Anko had been reintroduced to the village after Orochimaru's betrayal that Kurenai saw her cry. Unlike that time, they were clearly tears of joy that made her heart beat erratically. To think that the Psychotic Sadist, the Snake Whore of Konoha, would shed tears over her feelings being returned by her one-sided love. To think Kurenai had been hurting her so much and for so long. To think she had missed on so much for her hardheadedness. That day Anko did not meet her team, for the first time since its conception. She spent the day in the arms of her love.

After that, Kurenai went out of her way to find out everything she missed, and listened to everything Anko and her team said. Many things she didn't agree with, many things she did though, and she changed what needed to be changed. Although she tried to keep her public persona to what it was before, every once in a while, an Anko-like grin would slip out.

BUT DAMN IT IS HARD NOT TO! She was HAPPY, TRULY HAPPY SINCE KAMI KNEW HOW LONG!

PLUS! Scaring these kids was FUN! No wonder Ibiki and Anko swore by it so much. She was glad that the Hokage had given Anko a team instead of her like what was originally planned. If they hadn't. Hinata would not have gotten her confidence back. Ino would probably still be an Uchiha Fangirl. Kurenai would still be deluding herself and in a relationship with Asuma. Anko would still be slowly ripping strips of her heart in an attempt to help keep her closest friend, and secret love 'happy'. And Anko would be the one proctoring this exam.

Instead, none of that happened, and Kurenai could finally get it. When this damn exam ended in five days, she would spend a VERY happy pair of nights and day with her lover. She had even created a new Genjutsu to play around with.

It was very thankful, that not only was Kurenai alone, she was also hidden behind several Genjutsus. For she let out a giggle that would normally only be heard from people like Kakashi and Hiruzen while in the presence of a little orange book.

Team 8 got to Training Ground 44 with five minutes to spare, and were shocked. The Dango shop which right outside it, which was the designation on the paper, was the same as normal, and actually had a bit of business as the others who arrived earlier ate their lunch there. That was the ONLY thing that remained the same. A quick confirmation from Hinata and they once again felt awe for Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress. Kurenai had hidden the Forest of Death from view, with a set of such complicated Genjutsu, that they doubted that anyone except for the two Hyuuga and maybe the incredibly Chakra sensitive would realize it, and even Hinata would not have noticed it without having her Byakugan on the entire time. None of the foreign teams, and most of the home teams didn't seem to realize anything was going on. It seemed only Team 8, 9 and Kabuto realized that there should be a huge forest there, and as such that it was likely hidden under a Genjutsu.

The second that an hour passed, a few screams were heard throughout the village. One of them not more than 20 yards away. Many of the present teams palmed kunai or got into stances at the possible attack.

"So sad, 21 teams had passed the first exam. 4 failed to find the second exam on time." Kurenai's voice seemingly came from everywhere. A whisper in the ear, as well as coming from above as if Kami herself was observing. "For the 17 here. Congratulations! You just won an all-expense paid Five-Day trip to my lover's favorite place in Konoha. Training Ground 44!" Once again, all of them turned towards the seemingly normal training grounds before them. Long empty pastures with a few training dummies stranded around, were suddenly melted as enormous trees jutted out from below, towering over everything around them, the cries of animals wrung out from its depths, as darkness claimed everything beyond a certain distance. Finally, chain link fences burst around the mutated forest, warning signs plastered all over it, barbed wire lining the top, a lot of it showing dried blood. And directly in front of them a large chain and padlock suddenly materialized in the center, before the fence split, transforming into a locked and chained gate. Kurenai appeared as if hidden by a mist in front of the gate. "More commonly referred to as The Forest of Death."

At this point, even Kabuto was impressed, he had tried subtly breaking the Genjutsu earlier, and upon failing decided to just enjoy the show. Now, he was glad he had, that was a spectacular showing, and although pretty certain that she had layered ANOTHER Genjutsu on top of the already ridiculously layered Genjutsus she had used for the showing, he couldn't help but feel a thread of fear ring throughout his body. He enjoyed the sensation, as another part of the show, before subtly breaking it. Six times he had participated in Chunin Exams, and this was the finest showing from anyone, even the master of psychological torture and manipulation Ibiki would have been proud of Kurenai's showing. It was kinda scary how good the Ice Queen of Konoha was at her friend's previous job. Especially given how a pair of boys from one of the Grass teams suddenly fell on their rears and relieved themselves.

"Awww, the itty bitty kiddies got scared? It's okay, you can run back to the safety of your beds and cower underneath the covers." She looked around, catching and holding the eyes of everyone, "Anyone else want to head home?"

It was at that moment that Kiba took up the gauntlet, "NO WAY! I ain't a coward. Me and Akamaru will tear through this stupid forest and the exam!" "ARF!" Suddenly both froze as a pair of arms draped over the young boy's shoulders, one hand on his cheek, softly caressing it. "Oh, don't we have a big man here," her hand dropped to his neck and tightened around it, "careful not to lose your head in your rush," then her other hand dropped below his waist, this time a little whine came out, of more mouths than just Kiba's, "either of them." With that she faded away and reappeared in between a tent and manned table that hadn't been there before. The Kurenai by the gate still stood there, sharpening a kunai to a ridiculously fine edge. "Please head over here to the table with your signed waiver forms so that you can proceed towards the second exam."

"What form?"

"The piece of paper wrapped around your heads in ninja wire, with the provided pen. It pretty much just states that you understand that by continuing into the second exam, that your continued existence is effectively uncertain, and that it should not be held against us should your stupidity end it." At the few blank looks, she reiterated. "You sign this paper, and you die, your village can't do anything about it. You sign it, and you're on your own for the next five days in this forest, and your death is solely on your heads." She had said this in an entirely cold and serious face. "You don't sign this, you and your team immediately fail the second exam and head home. I will not make fun of you in this. These are the lives of you and your team in your hands. Make your decisions. Those who sign them will meet me in the tent one team at a time, those who do not, please give the paper back to the Chunin at the table, and head back to your team's accommodations. Your Jonin-sensei will meet you there." With that, both Kurenai faded away.

Team 8 stood there appreciating the delicate web of psychological attacks that Kurenai had used with her impressive Genjutsu. She had done crazy when crazy was needed (And fun.) and cold and serious when it was most potent. Already a couple of people had approached the table to turn in their papers and started heading away from the tent. Team 8 just sauntered into the tent behind the Suna team, smoke still curling from the lit cigar and cigarette.

"I figured you guys would be first, what caused you to come after Suna's team?"

"We were enjoying the effects of the show. We couldn't appreciate the Art that you created out there if we had rushed in here without a care like Gaara's team." was Naruto's cheeky response. She merely smiled at her lover's kids and passed them a Heaven scroll. The exam is pretty straight forward. Half the participants get a Heaven's Scroll, the other half gets an Earth Scroll. You need both to pass. Once you have both, you have to reach the tower at the center of the forest. Time limit is five days. Your starting point will be Gate 21. You will enter as soon as I open them, and not a second sooner. Once entered, you cannot exit, or you will fail."

All three nodded before heading out. It would be kinda pointless as an exam to them, considering how often they spent training and practically living in said forest. Still, trying to find an opponent with an Earth Scroll and breaking the record should make it amusing at least.

* * *

"Forty-eight minutes…" Iruka merely shook his head at the trio before him. "You guys managed to get a secondary scroll and make it to the target in less than an hour…" He sighed heavily at the bored looks he received (And how Hinata managed that with the top half of her face hidden behind the copious amounts of smoke coming out of her cigar, and being held mostly in place by her Fedora, plus having it covered in bandages and her Leaf Headband was a mystery to him.). "Well, congratulations on breaking the record so badly it isn't even funny. Normally one stays in the tower until they all finish or the time limit is met, but knowing you three, that would just cause you to run away and cut down on more numbers than we want, or drive everyone in the tower insane. So instead, at the end of the day, we will take you back to Konoha on our boat. So just try to not drive anyone completely insane until 8pm please."

Iruka shook his head again as they all replied in the affirmative. Since he offered it to them, he would have to offer the same to anyone else who finished today, but he felt secure that no one else could possibly pull off a ridiculous record breaking run like that.

Sixty minutes later he was eating his words as he congratulated the Suna Siblings team for breaking the previous record with their hour and fifty minute run, and that they would be joining Team Anko for the boat ride to Konoha until the exam ended.

* * *

The two teams stared at each other as they were ferried back to Konoha. Temari and Kankuro both looked nervous as they watched the two smoking Genins unnervingly staring directly at Gaara without blinking or any visibly actions beyond taking another pull of their seemingly immortal cigar and cigarette. The blond one was merely sitting down staring straight ahead on the boat while petting the ninken.

After thirty minutes without any movement from the three, she turned around in frustration. "Damnit! Are you three children!? Stop it with your staring contest! You're scaring the pansies driving the boat! And may your gods grant whomever delays me from getting home mercy, for they shall have none from me."

"But Inoooo~~~~" whined Naruto. "This guy has been the hardest opponent we have ever faced! He doesn't even look like he is concerned with our staring contest! And you know that Hinata would never allow someone to beat her in a staring contest, and I refuse to give up until the end!"

Ino started rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Naruto… Hinata hasn't given up because she is still challenging you. Gaara has blinked, you simply haven't seen it behind the sand armor he has covering him."

Naruto turned around in shock, mouth hanging over as he looked at Gaara. Pointing his finger, voice ringing out with tones of shock and betrayal. "You mean you have blinked!?" Gaara nodded slowly, as if unsure how to deal with the situation. "Gaaraaaaa~~ You can't cheat like that, I thought we were friends."

The actually caused all three of the Suna nin to jolt and stare at him in incomprehension. Although none realized that point in regards to Gaara. Kankuro was the one who asked what was on their mind, "How can you be friends. You have never met!" Kankuro flinched back at the glare from his younger sibling.

"Well no, outside of the first exam, but I consider all Jinchuriki my brothers and sisters. So at the very least we are automatically friends, no? I know I am quite socially retarded thanks to being shunned, insulted, and hurt by everyone, but I am pretty certain that siblings are like really good friends who share blood or similar situations, no? So clearly, since Gaara and I are siblings due to being Jinchuriki, then we are automatically friends!"

Both Ino and Hinata nodded seriously. Gaara actually looked SLIGHLTY shocked, thanks to the SLIGHT widening of his eyes. Kankuro looked ready to shit himself thanks to having ANOTHER monster like his little brother in the same boat. Temari was uncertain. On one hand, she had another Jinchuriki in front of her, but he did not seem insane like Gaara, AND he might be able to help her connect with and help Gaara out. Her thoughts warred within her for a second before she settled herself. "If you are a sibling and friend to Gaara, you are a friend and sibling to us as well." She raised her hand to the blond Jinchuriki, "Subaku no Temari. Gaara's older sister."

He took her hand smiling. "Uzumaki Naruto, Number Nine, as Bee-Ochan likes to call me. It is always a pleasure meeting and making new friends. I don't have too many of those as you can imagine."

Hinata was the one who scoffed at that, "Only because the majority of the village is full of ignorant, blind, bigoted, self-entitled assholes that deserve to have their heads shoved up their rectums."

Everyone turned to stare at Hinata, most were shocked. Kankuro because the blond monster seemed to suddenly be sane by comparison to his friends. Temari because she found herself agreeing with the girl's first spoken words since they had met at the beginning of the Chunin Exams. Ino because of how different Hinata was from the stuttering girl from back in the Academy. Gaara because Mother agreed with her, so she was bloodthirsty enough that she would be seen as he was back home. Naruto just looked at her in pride and thanked her, "Oh Hinata, you say the sweetest things, but don't worry, as I said, killing them doesn't teach them anything and it is too quick."

Hinata nodded in acceptance. While worry came over Temari and Kankuro, curiosity came over Gaara. "What do you do then instead of killing them?"

The grins that blossomed on all four of Team 8's faces shook the Suna Siblings to the core.

"We have four days till the second exam ends, how about you kind folk join us? I will even throw in a proper seal master to help fix the botch-job that your village did. It should allow you to sleep without any concern of possession. And trust me, sleep is WAY too good to allow the sand rat in your head to take away from you, regardless of how much power he gives you."

Gaara took his head in his hand as Shukaku started rampaging at the comment and threat. "Mother does not like that. Or you. She is telling me to kill you."

"Bah! That overgrown tranny sand rat isn't your mother Gaara. Your mother was a beautiful human woman who sacrificed her life to make sure you came to this world. That rat in your head is merely tricking you to see you partaking in what it wants. The damn fox in my head constantly tries to trick me into removing the seal and helping him burn Konoha to the ground. While it is INCREDIBLY enticing, considering how the shits in this village have treated me for the most part, I would die if I listened and die what he told me to do. So I didn't, my life may have been shit until I found smart people who saw past me being a Jinchuriki and accepted me for who I am, who verified my existence as Naruto, instead of the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. But it was a life given to me thanks to the love of my mother dying to make sure I lived. NOTHING can make me give it up."

All of those on the boat looked at Naruto with varying emotions. Ino and Hinata with a mixture of pride and love in how far strong Naruto was, and shame at how they failed to help him earlier in his life. Temari and Gaara were both shocked at what he had told them, he truly had gone through a similar life to Gaara, but thanks to his firm belief in his mother's love and sacrifice, he had gone a different route. Temari felt sad, wondering if she might have been able to make Gaara go down a similar route if she had been stronger. Gaara felt drawn to his new 'brother', who had apparently suffered like him, but had come out stronger, his existence proven. He ruthlessly crushed Moth-Shukaku's voice. He wanted to be like his new friend and brother. Kankuro felt a mixture of fear at having someone who could potentially be a second, stronger Gaara, disbelief that he had people who considered him for him, and shame that he was not strong enough to do the same with his own blood brother. The two ANBU and Chunin on the boat, who had listened in as Naruto revealed what was an S class secret to foreign, if allied shinobi, and felt both ashamed that they were part of a village who had treated a child like that, and relief that those actions had not led him to being like Gaara.

Silence reigned for quite a few minutes, before Gaara spoke up, "Can your seal master really help?" Seeing Naruto nod seriously, he nodded back slightly, "May I ask you to help me then?"

A kind smile appeared on his face, "Of course I will Gaara. As I said, we are friends, brothers. Helping each other is what we do. Come on, it will take a bit to hunt him down once we get to Konoha proper, and it will probably take a day or two to stabilize, afterwards, I am taking you on a guide of Konoha, and you can help us pull some pranks on the deserving, while meeting the few other friends I have. I am sure they will love you."

* * *

As promised, they had looked for their seal master friend to help Gaara. Only to bring them to Jiraiya of the Sannin! The greatest remaining Seal Master in the world! True to their word, Jiraiya fixed the seal in under an hour. Gaara would no longer hear Shukaku if he didn't want to, and Shukaku wouldn't be unable to escape or possess Gaara at all. He slept that day while recuperating from the seal adjustment, for the first time in his life. He almost had tears of joy in his eyes when he awoke.

The last two days before the second exam ended, was spent with Gaara getting closer to his new selection of Konoha friends and his siblings. Particularly Temari, who had apparently been wanting to get closer and help him for a long time, as she had always considered herself his big sister, and wanted to be able to protect him. Kankuro was quite a bit stiffer, but was on the path to progression.

Finally, near the end of the fifth days' time limit, a pair of ANBU approached them, and told them that the last participants to pass had arrived, so they should head back. The ANBU would be escorting them so that they arrived quickly and on time.

On the way there, Team 8 showed themselves to be as unusual as one could imagine, by pulling out a sealing scroll each, which had a copy of the outfit they wore during the first and second exam, (They were currently wearing their 'casual' clothes, which is pretty much what they usually wear in the show, except Hinata still has the bandages and headband covering her eyes and Naruto still had his shades and cigarette. Plus, he kept his jacket open, showcasing the black shirt and mesh armor underneath.) and proceeded to change into their outfits while in the midst of running. Clearly having done this before, they managed to finish without Gaara having to offer them his sand cloud to make it easier.

Now back to their Show Outfits, which were no less capable shinobi wear, they entered into the Tower, being lead into what seemed to be a big indoor arena. All other teams already present. As one, teams 7, 9, 10, Kabuto, and Sound, turned to face the late comers. Watching Team 8, in all their glory, saunter in like they owned the place, not a wrinkle in their clothes, despite having supposedly been in the Forest, seemed to irritate most present. That Suna's team was right behind them in similarly perfect condition only further exacerbated the situation. Seeing Gaara wearing a similar three piece suit and Fedora like Hinata's, only colored an incredibly dark maroon color, trading in the jacket for an ankle length coat like Naruto's, and with no tie and the first two buttons undone. It actually gave mixed messages, some of the girls (And two guys) thought he looked more attractive in the suit, most others were creeped out thanks to the shadow the Fedora created over his eyes. A few of the arrogant ones instead thought that all of them were being too arrogant and needed to be taught a lesson.

Poor arrogant fools.

After they were all sent down to hear the Hokage's and sent back up to watch the first match between Sasuke and Yoroi, Teams Anko and Suna gathered together, Teams 7 and 10 did the same with each other. Oto's, Kabuto's and Gai's team all remained separated and alone.

While watching the pathetic showing of Sasuke and Yoroi, Team 8's members nearly facepalmed at how the other Konoha rookies, and even some of the Jonin-sensei, seemed genuinely impressed with the skill shown. "How the hell did these guys make it this far? Did everyone really suck THAT bad? Aren't these supposed to showcase potential Chunin? These guys are barely potential Genin!"

"Oh hush Naruto, some of these ARE potential Chunin, that dragged their crap teams behind them."

"Whatever, I wanted to have a fun fight, but clearly the only way to get any enjoyment from these fights will be by playing around with our opponents. Oooh Oooh! Let's see who can defeat their opponent in the most embarrassing way with the least amount of physical effort. Gaara has a huge advantage, so he has to go out of his way to make it special."

Ino and Hinata readily agreed. Gaara took a second to think of what he would do before asking for a few items from the trio, before agreeing and accepting the handicap. Temari decided to join in on the fun, even if she didn't feel she was at their level, she knew she was better than most others here. Kankuro said he would try as well, so as to not be left out, even if his thoughts didn't align with any of theirs.

Following Sasuke and Yoroi's disappointing (To PROPER Jonin [Most definitely NOT including Kakashi or Orochimaru], and Teams 8 and Suna) match, the next match was between Shikamaru and Kiba. Based on how BADLY Shikamaru trounced Kiba without moving out of a five foot circle, using purely his mind and one jutsu, while looking absolutely bored and sleepy, one would think he had taken part of the challenge that Naruto had proposed.

The next fight instantly caused whispers to sprout around the arena.

Hyuuga Neji vs Hinata.

Most of the whispers came from the audience that knew she was, or rather, had been a Hyuuga. Was she truly blind? If yes, had it caused her to be kicked out of the Hyuuga? Is that why she didn't dress as they did? The few who were in the know about the Hyuuga in general, were worried about how badly Neji would beat up Hinata, and whether Hiashi would care if a the genius Branch House member killed the previous main house heir. Those who were IN the Hyuuga, or MORE in the KNOW, felt sorry, thinking that this was a public execution for Hinata. Anko, Naruto, Ino, Gaara, and Temari, all wondered what Hinata would do to try to win the contest. Kankuro thought his colleagues were insane and was wondering how strong the trio really was, to prank half the village, including ANBU and escape without issue with Foreign shinobi weighing them down, within three days. Kurenai, who didn't know about the challenge, wondered how badly Hinata would trash her cousin.

Hiashi, who was watching the matches from the Video Rooms set up for outsiders to watch the matches, was worried. He was worried about how this single match was going to change the fate of the Hyuuga in general. In a shallow attempt to do what was best for his second daughter, whom he was coming to realize he had failed almost as badly as the first, he brought her along to view the fight. Not knowing what was really going to happen or come out, but hoping that he could at least bring them together before the end.

Neji merely nodded his head at fate's decision for him to teach his _cousin_ the truth of the world, and her place in it. Hinata was almost giddy in her challenge opponent being Neji, it would almost be too easy to fuck with the fatalistic nitwit's mind and win the competition between people that mattered.

As Neji strode down to the arena, and Hinata sauntered from the other end of the arena, the whispers quieted down to catch sight of the match.

Genma placed his hand between them, despite them being nearly fifty feet away.

"Are you both ready?"

"Fate has decreed it so." Replied Neji as he got into the Juken stance.

Hinata merely pulled out a small metal case, pulling a cigar from it, before proceeding to cut the tip and light it with just an application of different natured chakra on her fingertips. She took a long pull of the cigar before allowing the billowing smoke to once again obscure the headband and bandages over her eyes with only a slight application of wind natured chakra. She couldn't really use any futon jutsu yet, but Naruto was not known as the most unpredictable prankster king for nothing, and Hinata had loved this particular trick.

Genma took it as an affirmative before raising his arm and jumping clear back.

"You should give up cousin. You are weak. Leave before you embarrass yourself further."

Hinata merely cocked her head to the side in question.

"You are a continual disgrace to your family and history. Fate has decreed it so. So just save yourself and everyone here the time and annoyance in watching Fate carried out."

Hinata snorted. Loudly. Despite the oddity that was Team 8 since the beginning of the Chunin exams, all the rookies, and many of the Jonin who had known about the previous Hyuuga Heiress, where shocked at that. Hinata shook her head, somehow keeping the cloud of smoke still collecting under the brim of her fedora, before circling back around its edge before rising behind her. "You Main House Hyuuga are all the same. Arrogant beyond all understanding, believing that a pair of eyeballs makes the Sun shine out of your collective asses." She snorted again, although this time she wasn't the only one, a few chuckles and one outright laugh joined her. Neji merely grit his teeth. "Even if that bitch had decreed that I was supposed to be weak, or supposed to lose to you here, why do you think I would listen to her? You might enjoy being a bitch's bitch, but I chose instead to live for myself, as myself. Also, disgrace? As far as I can tell, my family has never been disgraced by me." She turned to 'look' at her team. "You guys ever felt disgraced by me?"

They all uniformly shook their heads before voicing their disagreement. Well, Naruto and Ino did, Anko was still rolling on the floor at the situation. Hinata turned back to her opponent. "Well, see there Hyuuga? My family disagrees with you. Guess not only can your eyes NOT see that your opponent is far from weak, they are also apparently incapable of forcing your master's opinion of the universe on all of us either."

"You know that is not what I meant cretin." Neji replied through his teeth grinding. "You are a disgrace to the Hyuuga. You prove it now with your words and appearance. What do you think you are doing hiding your eyes behind those rags! Even if you are fated to be weak, to think you would go so far as to hide from what you are!"

Hinata merely raised a hand to remove her Fedora, and then remove the bandages and headband as a whole, showing that rather than wrapping around her head, it was held in place like a mask through chakra application.

Gasps, widening eyes and silence filled the arena. Even Neji jolted back as if prodded with an electric baton. Hinata merely stared back at her opponent, raw red lines, where the Byakugan's veins usually showed, lead into empty eye sockets. "I fail to understand Hyuuga. I believe that anyone would hide these holes. They are rather unpleasant to view I was told. Maybe you Hyuuga like kinky shit like this, wouldn't surprise me with how mentally unbalanced the Main House family is. Nonetheless, considering how much I despise you slavers, I will continue hiding behind my very nice black silk bandages." She started put her Fedora back on, allowing the smoke from her still it cigar to start obscuring the view of her face, but stuck her headband and bandages on her right arm's bicep instead. Allowing an occasionally disturbing view of her face through the smoke.

"W-W-What did you do?"

"Me? I had a little issue with some old folk who wanted to chain and rape me. I may or may not have killed them all during the altercation, but the laws, despite me being the clear defendant, were forced to punish me. I decided that my eyes were a acceptable price for my life. Considering the alternatives were execution, or becoming a second Uchiha Itachi, I know you Hyuuga consider your eyes more important than life, hence why you chain your Branch House with a seal that kills them should anything happen to their eyes. Although why you guys added seals that allow you Main House Hyuuga to control and kill them is beyond me. Bunch of rapist slavers you are."

"STOP IT! Stop addressing me as a Main House Hyuuga." He ripped his headband of his head, showing the Caged Bird Seal to all those around. "I am not one of those pigs!" At his own words he suddenly flinched and paled a bit, realizing that this was being broadcasted, and almost certainly being watched by the Hyuuga Elders and Head.

"Oh, my bad, with how you acted just like those old farts I killed, I thought you were from the Main house like they were." She once again tilted her head 'innocently' to the side in curiousity. "If you are a slave of the so called 'pigs' of the Main House, why do you act just like them? I would think that a slave would hate them too much to imitate them exactly like you do." She theatrically gasped while raising her hand to her mouth. "Could it be that you want to be a slaver like them? Wow, here we have a slave, who understands what it is to be bent over the barrel by cruel shits, and he wants to do the same to others." She shook her head in dismay. "What a disgrace."

"I AM NOTHING LIKE THEM!"

"You are exactly like them. Like them, you believe that the Sun shines out of your ass, what with your dedication to that bitch's supposed words. Claiming others as weak, or failures. Claiming all as 'below' them. Strutting around as if your eyes and fancy taijutsu make you all immortal kings. Let me pose a question. Since Konoha's founding. How many S rank or Higher Ninja has it had recorded among their ranks?" She looked around, as if asking everyone in the room, instead of just Neji. She continued before she got a response though. "Uchiha Madara and Itachi, Senju Hashirama, Tobirama, and Tsunade, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hatake Kakashi and Sakumo, Orichimaru, Namikaze Minato, Jiraiya, and Maito Gai are the known S ranks. There are at least another half a dozen that I know of that prefer to remain anonymous if they can help it." She paused to take a DEEP intake of her cigar, before blowing it out. "Not one has been a Hyuuga. So do tell me why you continue the mistaken assumption that you are Kami's gift to mankind? Why do you all mistakenly believe that your traditions keep you strong and on top of everyone? Your eyes are useful, without a doubt. You limit them though with your 'traditions'. How many Iryo-nins would sacrifice anything for your eyes? How many fuinjutsu users would dread your eyes. How many S ranks could the Hyuuga have had if you arrogant blind fools didn't hinder yourselves?" She paused for a second, "Think about that while you recover in the hospital Hyuuga."

Neji didn't understand the words she had spoken. Or rather, he was too shocked by everything that had happened to be able to process them properly. Hinata was no longer a Hyuuga. She had apparently killed some of their Elders and had not only her family name removed, but her eyes as well. Instead of crying and shivering as the weakling she should have been (Although if she was as she should have been, then she never would have killed the Elders.) she laughed and took advantage of her newfound freedom to do as she wanted. She should have been weak, she clearly wasn't to beat people stronger than him. She should have been sealed, yes, not exiled with her eyes ripped out. She should have been broken, well, it seemed she was, but not in the correct way. She should have been alone, she had a family. She should have been meek and lowered her head to her superiors, she stood above them and spit on them instead. None of this made sense.

Just as Neji lost consciousness, he realized a truth of the world. There MIGHT be a determined Fate for everyone, but he most certainly could not know what it was. He would have to continue going forward as if there wasn't then, he would attempt to attain his own happiness, just like Hinata-sama seemed to have done so, regardless of the cost.

For everyone else, they were in complete shock. Hinata had never even moved, not one step. Even Shikamaru before her moved a bit. Yet Neji lay there on the floor. In the span of six minutes, Hinata had single handedly caused an upset in Konoha that no one, besides Team 8 and Kurenai, could have foreseen. With just her words and showing the remains of her altercation with the Hyuuga, she had destroyed them. Within moments, all Main House Hyuuga would be ejected from the viewing rooms, shunned and glared at. Things usually reserved for the Kyuubi Jinchuriki were being dished out in full towards the scum that walked among them as they were human. Branch House members were quickly contacted by ninja of Konoha and asked to gather the others to be hosted upon building quickly being built by Tenzo, the sole Wood User in Konoha, and furnished by fellow ANBU under the Hokage. Main House members were tailed in secret, and some cases in public by other ninja, waiting for them to react negatively so they had an excuse to arrest them violently and transfer them to Ibiki.

The Kyuubi may have destroyed much of Konoha and killed hundreds, but it did not go out of its way to enslave its own family, torture and rape them, rip the eyes out of a small young girl beginning her ninja career. The Kyuubi may have been a demon, but these monsters were the scum of the earths and deserved worse.

Foolishly, some Main House members did strike out at those who gave them the boot from their establishments, or against Branch House members who followed them to the show as servants. They were quickly apprehended, although it seemed some of them were taken down a bit zealously, or apparently tripped down some stairs heading to Ibiki. The Hokage himself received a message of this shortly after Hinata had finished climbing back up to her cheering family, which apparently included Suna's genin team now, since even their Jinchuriki was clapping softly. He wanted to bang his head against a wall, he should have known that anyone associated with Anko and whom idolized Naruto would follow in their footsteps of messing with everyone and causing him headaches, even if this one had the possibility of turning out good. Or horribly bad. He could not help but be proud of his ninja though. There might have been a few bad eggs in the basket, but by and far, with moments like this, he renewed his faith that continuing his position instead of running away with his family and Naruto from this place was the best decision.

Gai looked down in sadness at his second Hyuuga student, and then looked over to the former Hyuuga who had asked him to help her get strong all those years ago in pride. He hated what had been done to her, but her flames of youth shown brighter than ever, and she had done something for him and his current student, that he could not. He would have to visit her and see if she was interested in his Turtle Summing Contract and learning another taijutsu style that could help her while fighting blind. The green spandex wearing man nearly snorted, as if HINATA would ever reject extra training or a way to get stronger to protect her precious people.

Kurenai was proud of her daughter in all but name and blood. She and Anko had decided on adopting her once they officially got married, and she couldn't be prouder of the little girl she had taken care of since after the Kumo incident.

Hiashi was also proud, but it was overpowered by his immense shame. He had failed both his daughters completely. Hinata had rejected her birth family completely, renouncing her name and ripping her own eyes out instead of continuing any kind of association with her blood family. Now, here he stood, being asked to leave the premise in shame, while his younger daughter looked at him as if he was a monster, tears leaking from her eyes. In truth, Hanabi had been looking at him like that since Hinata removed her face mask and explained what had happened. Hanabi may have recently started to seemingly look down on her 'failure' of a big sister, but until the Elders and his own words had apparently started to work on her, Hanabi had always loved and looked up to Hinata. Only Hinata treated Hanabi like Hanabi. Everyone else treated her like either a spare heir, a supplementary Branch House member, at least until she started showing prowess in the traditional family taijutsu. After that, she watched as the same people who scorned her, instead praised her, and ridiculed her elder sister. No matter what, Hinata had NEVER struck Hanabi. She had many a times SEEMED to, but always 'missed' at the last instant, and left a clear opening for Hanabi. He mentally shook his. He truly had been blind, he himself had seen Hinata do fine during her training prior to the spars together. He had known she was capable of their style, but had decided she had too weak a heart to face her foes. Even after the reports from the academy showed the she had always drawn against everyone except the Uzumaki and Uchiha, he considered her a failure, figuring that the rest were also failures, since she failed to hit Hanabi. Even after the reports of her long string of successful C and above ranked missions, written words that detailed her facing and defeating supposedly superior ninjas, he considered them lies or exagerations, since she failed to hit Hanabi.

As he looked at Hanabi's murderous eyes, as he heard the painful words she shouted at him, as she spit at him, venom and hate clear to all around, he realized the truth. She didn't FAIL to hit Hanabi, she REFUSED to hit Hanabi. Hinata did not have a weak heart, she was NOT weak. She was stronger than all of them, for choosing a path full of thorns, and walking it without a single complaint. For sacrificing everything to protect those that mattered to her. Allowing others to beat her up in lieu of 'training', berating her, tearing at her verbally and physically. Allowing her eyes to be removed, probably even receive the Caged Bird Seal if needed, to protect her little sister.

And Hanabi knew. She knew everything except that her 'family' had taken the prized sight of her beloved elder sister. Her elder sister who was stronger than any other member in the Hyuuga household, and whose eyes were apparently the best. The Hyuuga had personally destroyed their greatest ninja, casted her out and cut off anything that could have linked her to the Hyuuga. Hinata was wrong, yet not wrong. The Hyuuga had clearly birthed one S Rank ninja. She just stopped considering herself a Hyuuga a LONG time ago, and had been removed from the ranks of the Hyuuga by them.

Hiashi had constantly been praised for his eyes. As he walked out of the room and building, the sobs of his second daughter echoing in his ears, the only thing his vaunted eyes saw, was how much of a failure he was.

* * *

Back inside the arena, unknowing of the chaos going on outside, the matches had continued.

Kankuro had been matched up with Tenten, who had proceeded to smash Crow apart with a combination of thrown heavy weapons, explosive notes, and a REALLY big and spikey meteor hammer. Poor Kankuro was screaming like a little girl as Tenten chased him with it, promptly giving up. Naruto and Anko were laughing up a storm, since they both liked Tenten, and that had been hilarious. Ino and Hinata were supporting Temari, who had her head in her hands at the embarrassment that was Kankuro. Unknown to everyone, Gaara was laughing internally as well. Baki was almost as embarrassed as Temari.

After Kankuro gave some crap excuse as to his laugh, and complained about the loss of his doll, Baki leaned over to Anko, and LOUDLY requested if she would grace him and Suna, by taking Kankuro with her for a few 'training' sessions. EVERYONE could hear the quotations marks. In exchange, he would happily help any of her students. Anko immediately took him up to her offer, to Naruto's, Gaara's and Temari's happiness, and Kankuro's absolute terror. He had seen how those three acted, had seen how insane the second proctor was, and this was the woman who trained the prior three, was in an active relationship with the latter, and supposedly the cause of her insanity. He visibly gulped as he wondered if he would survive till the invasion, and what the hell Baki was doing.

On second thought, he wondered if maybe he should just go missing-nin, since he wasn't sure about the outcome of the invasion anymore with people like them around.

Following that, Misumi was to face Temari, she proceeded to spit out a single, underpowered seal less Air Bullet, right at his Adam's apple, crushing his throat, without moving from her starting position, arms crossed under her chest, with her fan safely strapped behind her back. Looking down past her nose on her dying opponent with a look of complete contempt. She stood there watching until he stopped twitching before snootily sniffing and turning her head and walking back to her family and friends. All of whom were clapping, while the rest of the arena stayed silent, or politely clapped after Genma announced her victory.

They then saw a match between Haruno Sakura and Tsuchi Kin… EVERYONE was embarrassed by Sakura's actions, although Kin hadn't been THAT much better… so her boasting was a BIT premature. Literally ANYONE else, except maybe Yoroi or Misumi would have beaten her.

Following that, it was announced that Kabuto would face Gaara, and he promptly forfeited, claiming that he would rather go on a solo S rank suicide mission mission than face Gaara in such a confined and unprepared arena. Almost everyone who didn't know that his seal was fixed, which meant everyone outside Teams 8 and Suna, along with their Sensei, agreed with the Iryo-nin's assessment of his chances. Gaara on the other hand was disappointed that he had been disqualified from the competition, until Naruto assured him, that scaring an opponent into giving up without saying anything or moving was good, but it lacked the embarrassment factor, so sadly, Hinata and Temari were still ahead. Although Kankuro was FAR behind. Gaara was not too assured by that, although he was happy that Temari was doing well. He had gotten much closer than he had expected with his sister in the three days he had spent with her after the seal had been fixed. Unlike Kankuro, Temari proved that she really had always loved him and wanted to be with him.

Gaara had already spoken with, and even threatened Baki the previous night in regards to the invasion plans, although it turned out the latter was unnecessary, turned out Baki actually DID care about ALL his students, INCLUDING Gaara, and personally felt that the invasion was wrong as well. Baki would present himself to the Hokage and explain the situation, in exchange for their help and information, they would attempt to CAPTURE Suna shinobi instead of killing them if at all possible, as well as he and his team would be considered allies of Konoha, even as Suna invades besides Oto, and should the worst come around and Suna become a casualty of war, they would become Konoha Shinobi.

Akamichi Choji was put up against Rock Lee. Rock Lee proved his Flames of Youth. Nuff said.  
Despite having moved around A LOT, Naruto and gang went ahead and added him to the list out of respect for his skill, the amount of restraint he put in to not hurt Choji, and give him a chance, and his constant screams of Youth. He was ranked below Gaara, but far above Kankuro. (Current list is, from First to Last: Hinata, Temari, Shikimaru, Gaara, Tenten, Lee, Kankuro. Kin and Sasuke sucked too much to be listed. Even CONSIDERING Kankuro was being placed with his loss.)

Then came up the match between Uzumaki Naruto and Abumi Zaku.

Zaku jumped down into the arena as Naruto simply perambulated while lighting another cigarette. Unlike Hinata's apparently immortal cigars, Naruto had to constantly switch to a new cigarette.

"I am going to show you Konoha pussies what it means to fight a real ninja."

Naruto simply smirked in response. A smirk with WAAAAYYYYYY too many teeth. A smirk that should NOT be physically possible on a regular human face. A smirk that sent a shiver down the spine of every single Konoha shinobi there who had seen the Kyuubi that fateful night almost thirteen years ago.

"We shall see." Unlike the Konoha Shinobi, Zaku had never faced the Kyuubi, and he was one of those poor arrogant fools that had been pointed out before, so he didn't see anything other than a supposedly uppity and arrogant Leaf Ninja who didn't know his place in the world.

"Are both parties ready?"

"Get this shit started, I am going to teach this pussy a lesson he may not survive."

Naruto smirk merely, IMPOSSIBLY, widened in response. Genma nearly shit himself when he noticed that Naruto's usual sky blue eyes had become a dark, bloody crimson behind his shades.

He barely managed to squeak out a 'start' before fleeing the scene.

Zaku immediately raised the arm not in a sling and fired a concentrated blast of air while screaming "Zankuuha!"

A huge cloud of dust built up around the blast area, which happened to be right where Naruto had been standing. Confident in his victory, Zaku started laughing manically. "See? Stupid Leaf Ninja didn't even have time to dodge my attack."

"Why would I dodge that? I have felt stronger breezes while sitting on the Hokage Monument." Zaku turned around to face what should have been a chopped up and mangled corpse. Instead of realizing the truth, that his current opponent was FAR beyond his skill level, he simply got angry at the prick trying to show off, and started firing Zankuuhas from his right arm, over and over again, until the dust started mixing with broken pieces of the stone floor. After a minute of continuous fire, Zaku stopped firing. A light sheen of sweat on his brow, his labored breath audible to the entire arena.

The silence stretched, waiting for a view of Naruto. Eventually it did settle enough to catch a view of Naruto… sitting on a cushioned chair eerily reminiscent of the one the Hokage himself had in his office. A large snot bubble joining the lit cigarette on his face. Suddenly, they heard the soft snore that they were certain had not been there prior.

A feral roar escaped from Zaku's mouth at this point, and he removed his left arm from his splint and held both of his arms together. "Zankyokuk-!"

Everyone watched in confusion as Zaku just stood there, frozen in mid-attack, wondering what had happened. The only exceptions were Gaara, the disguised Orochimaru, Hiruzen, Hinata, Anko, and Gai, who, although not directed at them, were sensitive enough to feel the VERY slight leekage of killer intent that Naruto was releasing.

Or rather, that Kurama was releasing THROUGH Naruto.

For Zaku, all he could see was a pair of giant slit eyes staring down at him. Giant, blood red orbs, that promised his absolute destruction. Many strong ninja faced a stronger version of this the night that the Kyuubi attack Konoha. Most could not handle it and collapsed, becoming another casualty while unconscious. Dozens of young Uchiha died from chakra exhaustion when the mere dregs of his killer intent forcefully activated their Sharingan, thanks to their fear of death, their elders away or otherwise occupied, and unable to notice what had happened to them, or teach them how to shut it down in time to save their lives.

Zaku wasn't anywhere near any of the ninja back then, but he faced a MUCH weaker presence. So he didn't lose consciousness immediately. No, he stayed conscious as he felt his body fail him. First his nerves all shut down, then his lungs, then his heart failed, still his body would not collapse, completely at the mercy of the monster before him. Eventually, the darkness overtook his vision. Naruto held the killing intent there for another thirty seconds before stopping.

The moment he let go, Zaku's body immediately collapsed onto the floor. Naruto was already halfway up the stairs when the medics pronounced him dead.

* * *

The final match of the day was between Aburame Shino and Kinuta Dosu.

Shino eventually managed to Dosu of all his chakra, but it had been a relatively hard won fight, since Dosu never fell for Shino's Mushi Bushin. However, without a way to counter the large amounts of bugs at his disposal, Shino eventually won the fight through sheer force.

As the odd one out, Ino was actually given a by, since no one had volunteered to fight her. This infuriated her, since it automatically disqualified her from their own internal competition.

After listening to the Hokage's speech, and getting their matches, Naruto immediately invited all the victors to a congratulatory dinner at Yakiniku Q. Anko, Asuma, Baki, Gai , Ibiki and Kurenai all decided to join them, Asuma and Gai helping Naruto with the bill. Kiba, Kankuro, and Choji also joined them, despite having lost. Kin, due to one of her teammates being dead, the other in the hospital with severe Chakra Exhaustion, and Orochimaru having disappeared, decided to go with them as well. Partly because she was interested in getting some info from them, partly because she was actually impressed with most of the winners, and knew she would fall to most of them, partly because it was a free meal with apparently joyous company. Neither of which she had ever had prior.

On the way there, they ran into Hayate and a Cat masked ANBU who had brought Hanabi to meet with her older sister, who had thankfully put her bandages and headband back on. Everyone gave them some space as Hanabi ran into Hinata's arms crying. Something that was unheard of for Hyuuga. Naruto signaled and lead them all away to the restaurant, Hinata and Hanabi eventually joined them, Yuugao, out of her mask followed shortly afterwards, clearly showing that she had stayed behind to cover them.

It was a joyous night at Yakiniku Q, even when Lee somehow got alcohol into his system, and proceeded to beat up Kiba for 'bothering the pretty lady', everyone, including Gai, merely laughed at the situation, especially with the abrasive foreign Oto Shinobi having a slight blush on her face at her sudden knight in green spandex. As the night winded down, she was found in the company of Tenten, and an unconscious Lee, having been knocked unconscious by Hinata's precise Juken strikes. Proving to her competition that lack of sight clearly meant nothing to the incredible kunoichi, much less needing a Byakugan to 'properly' use Juken. (Although Gai and Anko could have told you that last one seeing as how they were the ones to secretly reverse engineer the Juken to work with pressure points. Afterwards, thanks to using the first principle of the Rasengan, Hinata could use to cause MASSIVE internal damage with her 'Blind Juken' to either the Chakra network or anything physical.)

As the party was winding down, parents and family members came to pick up their charges, couples started slipping out and individuals called it a night. Eventually, only Hinata, Hanabi, Naruto, Gaara, Temari, and Gai remained. Ino, Shika, Choji, Kiba, and Shino had been picked up by their parents or sister in Kiba's case. Lee had been absconded to somewhere by Tenten and surprisingly enough, Kin. Anko had disappeared with Kurenai, one moment they were there in the middle of a shot challenge, the next someone was asking where they were. Same with Yuugao and Hayate, after having been thanked profusely by Hinata and Hanabi, and being assured that they would be fine since they would be sticking with Naruto and two of the Suna siblings. Ibiki had actually properly excused himself after talking with Hinata about some matters. Asuma left after he noticed Kurenai had left, apparently he was still crushing after her, BUT, to give him his due, had not been foolish or aggressive about it. He left enough money to cover slightly over a third of the bill, despite Naruto's objections. Baki had kidnapped Kankuro to inform him of what they were doing in regards to the future and start preparing him for his new sensei.

The remaining members left the closing restaurant together, Gai and Naruto having split the remain bill evenly, and Hanabi having left a sizeable tip, curtesy of the Hyuuga coffers, since they had remained open longer due to them.

"Well then, seeing as how the ones who most stood out for our competition are here, let us go for a final vote! Mine is on Hinata-hime's match with Neji, she controlled the entire conversation and match from beginning to end, and knocked Neji out without either side ever really leaving their starting points, nor most knowing HOW she knocked him out."

"I was actually curious about that. I hadn't actually known you were truly blind, based on how easily you get around and interact with the environment… now I know that you are, at least based off the original definition. Unless it is a big secret." Hanabi and Gaara were equally curious. Gai and Naruto already knew the truth.

"Not at all, plus, there is no secrets between family, of which I consider everyone here to be a part of. It is actually a unique application to a basic technique that Suna uses often." With that, several strings of pure chakra suddenly became visible around her, causing Temari's eyes to widen greatly. "Thanks to having been a Hyuuga with a powerful Byakugan, receiving and understanding large amounts of information from a large area is normal for me. So I create thousands of micro chakra strings that would be invisible to anyone but other Hyuuga or the more sensitive of Chakra sensors, and spread them out all around me at different points, almost like a cloud that constantly surrounds me. I use them to create a three dimensional 'map' you could say, so that I can 'see' my surroundings. Honestly, with a bit of work and practice, it is almost identical to a smaller ranged Byakugan in how it lets me see 360 around me, maybe even better in certain scenarios. Of course, it doesn't let me 'see' through objects like my Byakugan could, nor can I see a person's tenketsu or colors, but it is more than adequate to live a normal life and be a proficient kunoichi. Although it doesn't use as much chakra as the Byakugan, It does sadly waste more chakra than the Byakugan in the end, since I have to have it on all day by comparison."

Gaara and Temari were both impressed significantly. Gaara could use his sand to recreate his eyes to see just fine, or his sand as a similar sensor, but what she had done was still impressive. Temari was honestly shocked. She was used to Kunoichi her age or younger being fangirls usually, and she hadn't really been proven otherwise when she first arrived and ran into the pink-haired banshee. Yet here was a true Kunoichi. She was younger than her, had gone through a harder life than her, and was stronger than her in all the ways that mattered. And this amazing person considered her a friend and family member, and had helped her younger blood brother back to her as well. She may have always had reservation about the invasion, but was going to follow her Kazekage's orders. Her 'fathers' orders. Since the first day she met the insane trio, she was going to see about convincing her Kage to keep those three safe, by the fourth day, GAARA, came to her and told her that he had convinced Baki to reject his orders with them, and to join Konoha instead, with the plan to capture or incapacitate as many Suna shinobi as possible. She was a BIT troubled by going against her father, but understood that Gaara could care less about the man who constantly made his life hell, it was because of that, that she agreed then and there, despite her slight reservations.

Today, she would face the Kazekage in a duel with the full intention of dying or killing him if it meant protecting her family, which had grown greatly since coming to Konoha.

Unknowing of the sudden resolution of their new big sister, the others had continued with a bit more small talk, before going back to the voting, where Hanabi immediately joined Naruto in voting for her only real blood family as well.

"I must apologize. It is most youthful to have competitions, but I cannot accurately cast my vote without knowing what the challenge was about."

"Oh, sorry Gai-sensei. Naruto had felt that barring a match between ourselves or Lee, that they would be too easy or boring. So he set up a competition where we would restrict ourselves as much as possible, and attempt to win with both the handicaps, as well trying to embarrass or shame our opponent as much as possible."

With that, Gai frowned a bit. "While the idea of making the match challenging and youthful by handicapping oneself. The idea to embarrass or shame the other is most unyouthful."

"We understand Gai-sensei, that is why we left the criteria INCREDIBLY open, depending on our opponent. Although being embarrassed in a fight, means that they could have easily been killed if it had been serious. So it will also hopefully act as a BIG motivator to their growth. Igniting their dormant Flames of Youth!"

With that Gai frown turned upside down into a most mischievous grin, with pride clearly shining in his eyes. "YOUTH!" Screamed Gai and his two present students. Hanabi and Temari both jumped at the sudden ear shattering, shout of youthful passion. Gaara just kept his awesome pokerface, although he might have had an amused glint in his eyes. "Then in that case, I will put forth my vote for Hinata as well. Although I feel that my dear Tenten was the winner in the case of embarrassing their opponent enough to light their flames of youth, she was much too active in the fight, so Hinata has my vote. Naruto and Temari would have been tied for victory with her, but sadly, they had bad opponents, even if you two had left them alive, I am not certain that they would be propelled by the flames of youth, but by the cursed hatred of vengeance."

Despite the use of words like 'Flames of Youth' and the like, all but Hinata and Naruto were shocked by his detailed input. Well, Gaara was still shocked people that weren't immediate family of his or Naruto talked to him or hung around him without concern.

"So that is three for Hinata, considering that only Gaara and I are left to vote, it is clear that she is the winner. Besides, taking Gai-san's words into account, it is true that Naruto and I are disqualified for having killed our opponents. Which means the only real options would have been Hinata, Tenten, Gaara, Lee, Lazy-ass and Kin. Between them, it is clear that Hinata won. I say that Tenten was second, and Gaara third, mostly because Tenten really was the runner up with how funny the match was, and Kankuro will most definitely be training harder. And Gaara technically caused his opponent to soil his pants from his presence alone, so he didn't have to put any real effort in the match." All the others present agreed with her.

"Well then, since I know that Anko will be busy with Kurenai for at least two days, we can use these two days to get the rewards for all three. First, Hinata, what do you want as the winner?"

Hinata may not be the shy weakling she showed everyone, but the fainting near Naruto was most definitely real. Anko had helped A LOT in regards to that, but she was still glad that her new ever present upper face 'mask'. "Well. Do you think… Do you think we could go out on a date?" She was sure that her blush was showing under the mask and was spreading to her neck.

Naruto froze for a second as they were walking aimlessly, but then a soft true smile appeared on his face. "Are you sure this isn't my reward?" At Hinata's frantic nod, he responded with a soft chuckle. "I will then take upon myself to give you the best day ever! DATEBAYO!" Hinata's face broke into a soft smile at his verbal tick, that seemed to have mostly faded with proper care and support, and that she was finally getting a 'romantic' date. She could technically count any training day with Naruto alone as a date, since they were getting to know each other and getting closer like a date should, but this would be the first 'official' one.

Hanabi was looking up at her sister fondly, knowing how much her sister liked the blond prankster, she was happy she was getting one of her wishes, especially after so much had been taken from her. Her thoughts started going dark, but she quickly shoved them aside. She might have been the cause of much of Hinata's situation and suffering, but she had always been assured by her older sister that it was not that case, and that instead, she was the main cause of her happiness, despite everything else around her. Most of the time, she could logically see, that Hinata did not NEED to suffer, or go through what she did, she CHOOSE to do so, because she wanted to. It was because of that knowledge, that Hanabi had never stopped loving her sister, or believing in her. Today, she had been shown that her faith was well founded. It still did not change the fact that Hinata deserved all the happiness she could get, so she planned on speaking with Naruto later to help him with the date plans.

"Well then, Gai-sensei, if you could ask Tenten what she would want for her reward we will work to accomplish it." "YOSH!" "Finally, Gaara, what do you want?"

"Sleep. It has been a long day. Afterwards, I want to all of your help to capture Kabuto in a few days when he comes over to give us a message from Orochimaru about the invasion plans."

Gai, Hanabi and Temari froze for a second at his sudden revelation and request. Although Temari recovered almost immediately, knowing that this would have happened eventually, and her choice on which side she would stay. Gai recovered a moment afterwards, being the Elite that he is, although his face was dead serious by this point. Hanabi was still frozen in shock, so the others stopped to let her mind catch up. Gaara looked towards the only two to not freeze. "You don't seem surprised."

"We aren't. It is a conversation to be held in a more private place though. Sai, if you would go get the Danzo and tell him to prep a room for us to have a private meeting?"

They didn't hear or see anything, but suddenly there was a blank faced ANBU if front of them who nodded before vanishing.

"Gai-sensei, Hanabi, if I could ask you both to keep everything that is going to happen quite, we would be much appreciated."

Gai nodded seriously, but leaned down to deactivate his weights. Hanabi was still in shock, but a soft hand on her shoulder from Hinata caused her to focus and nod. They started heading with a purpose, with Naruto leading.

Within long, they all found themselves in an underground room, full of seals. Present inside was the Shinobi no Yami, Danzo Shimura himself.

"Yo Danzo!" cheered Naruto, completely breaking the atmosphere that had been created. Hinata bowed slightly, as did Hanabi, following her sisters actions. Temari was a bit worried, but held herself together, since she didn't think these two would betray them after everything. _'Although we have only been together for five days.'_ Gaara was completely unperturbed. Gai was severely perturbed, but he held himself in composure, as expected of an S-class shinobi.

Danzo, against EVERYTHING that Gai expected and knew, actually visibly sighed. "Uzumaki-san." He pulled himself together. "The fact that you have brought two of the Suna siblings means that this has something to do with the invasion, having Hyuuga-san and Maito-san here means that you trust them all completely, correct?"

"Of course. You know us Danzo. We might not be students of yours or part of ROOT, but we still understand the same fundamentals and work together towards the same goals." Danzo nodded.

"Do you need or want me here? Or should I give you all some privacy."

At that Naruto snorted, "Like if you would actually leave, or not spy on us. Plus, we would have knocked Sai unconscious and gone elsewhere if that is what we wanted. Plus, like I said, we are working together, true partners despite what others may believe and what you may say." Once again, Danzo simply nodded, and waved his hand towards the seats available.

As they all seated themselves, "That reminds me, Hinata-san, although not as we had initially planned, I must say that you have accomplished one of our goals, in a very quick and effective manner. As of three hours ago, I managed to get the council to agree that the Hyuuga had gone far beyond the acceptable, and it was agreed that all the Main Hyuuga would be detained and interrogated in regards to their actions towards the Branch house, and questioning of the Branch house members would begin as well. As a former Hyuuga, furthermore, as the former Hyuuga Heiress, you will be called upon sometime in the next couple of days for questioning as well, so I recommend you postpone your date a week. Hyuuga-san, you too will be approached for the same soon. Nonetheless, thanks to public outrage from the vast majority of our Shinobi and civilian population, plus the letter from the Fire Daimyo that should be arriving soon, the Caged Bird Seal will be forced to be removed from everyone soon." Here, Danzo's voice dropped a bit, "I am certain many of the former Main house will get free due to legal issues and Hiruzen's interference, nonetheless, there power will be stripped. ROOT will make sure that the ones who are threats to Konoha will have 'accidents' while intoxicated." Hanabi may have stiffened a bit at that declaration, but everyone else took it in stride, for their own reasons.

"Thank you very much for your continual assistance in making Konoha stronger and keeping it safe Danzo-sama."

He merely waved her statement away, "It is my job, and you two have done much to help me, despite not being one of my own. As Uzumaki-san stated, you have my support so long as you continue looking towards a prosperous Konoha. Which reminds me. Some of my agents stumbled across a few hidden rooms while stalking Hiruzen's ANBU into the Hyuuga household. We found some Hyuuga eyes that were kept in stasis. They were all unsealed, which leads me to believe them to be the eyes of the Main House members you killed and possibly your own." At this there was an actual gasp from both sisters, and a widening of the eyes from Naruto and Gai. "Despite my urge to take them, I have taken both your previous words into consideration and left them alone, I have however, marked the rooms for you and Hyuuga-san, to publicly find later. I will inform you that of my own choice, as a gift, I have further damaged one of the two that showed it was removed brutally instead of with proper medical procedures." At this, they all looked at him in confusion. "I am certain that those two were yours, by damaging one further, it will leave you an excuse to always have one socket covered since you only have one eye." Suddenly one of his ROOT ANBU arrived carrying a covered jar. "As a proof of our continued profitable allegiance, allow me to provide you a different secondary eye."

As one they all looked towards the now uncovered jar and gasped, without exception. Staring back at them was an eyeball with a red iris and three tomoe's staring out. "Out of the eyes that we have remaining, this one is the one that would be most compatible with you based on the bloodwork we have on its previous owner and that you gave us." A small grin appeared on his face, which was the same as a full blown, if viscous, smile on anyone else. "How do you feel? Being the first person to have both a Byakugan and Sharingan?"

After the shocking revelations, and setting up an appointment for the proper operation, and a bit of planning on when and how to reveal the eyes in stasis, plus a promise to meet up later to speak about further plans for the Hyuuga. They moved back to the original topic, towards the invasion. They revealed that they knew that Orochimaru was probably up to something like an invasion, since they had seen how Suna's economy was suffering greatly, and that on the second day of the Second Exam, Orochimaru showed himself to Sasuke, and gave him a cursed seal. It was well known to Danzo that Orochimaru was capable of taking over other's bodies who have the cursed seal, and as such came to the conclusion that he wanted to take over Sasuke to have access to the Sharingan. Then proceeded to laugh in that creepy Danzo way, about Orochimaru never realizing that he had a couple dozen Sharingan after the Uchiha Massacre, which he offered to the best of his agents who could use them. Kakashi was not that unique now a days.

Gaara and Temari filled them in on their mission objectives and what they knew or had figured out, as well as the fact that Gaara had gotten Baki to bring himself to the Hokage tomorrow to trade info for protection and a home. Danzo told them that he always had Kabuto under guard, but it would be most useful to capture him shortly before the invasion, since his role is most definitely important, and they didn't want Orochimaru to give it to someone else with time to get it right. They hammered out more details, before finally accepting a plan.

By the end, even Gai was completely on-board, and although Danzo was a bit on edge with such a possible leak, Naruto and Hinata vouched for him, and he was the strongest Shinobi that was directly allied with or part of ROOT as of this point. All of ROOT teaming up against him MIGHT win, but only with ridiculous casualties. Naruto in full Kyuubi Cloak teaming up with Hinata, Gaara and Temari, would probably get a full draw, with both sides killing the other completely. Danzo understood that two Jinchuriki were considered weapons of war for good reason, just like S-ranked Shinobi. Among Root, Danzo was the only S-Ranked, and he knew that Maito Gai would destroy him. So having him as a devoted ally was a godsend.

They would just need to keep him away from the more… unyouthful activities.

After accepting the plan on all fronts, they agreed to meet again in a week to revise it depending on the Hokage's response to Baki's information. Hinata would be back a day or two prior for the operation of adding the Sharingan, hopefully, already having gotten her Byakugan back. If not, then ROOT would go and take it and she would continue to hide both eyes under a new wider Leaf Headband with seals that allow her to see through it like a one-way mirror, hiding BOTH of her advantages. Hinata and Naruto would be back a day prior to that to speak in secret about the future of the Hyuuga among ROOT, but no one but the three involved knew about that.

So they left, after swearing secrecy (Danzo was still iffy about not providing everyone with a silencing seal.) and headed their different ways. Gaara and Temari to sleep and talk with Baki and Kankuro. Gai to begin his morning training in preparation for helping Lee and Tenten as well as for the incoming invasion. Naruto decided to join Hinata and Hanabi towards the Hyuuga household, where all the Branch House had been moved back to after the Main House had been arrested.

Upon arrival, they were met with shock, both that a Main House member was not under arrest, even if it was Hanabi, who had always treated them properly at the request of her elder sister, and that Hinata was with her. Feelings were mixed with the previous heir, the Branch House had always loved her because of how she treated them all as equals, as well as standing up for them publicly. Finding out that she had been keeping her true strength and nature secret from everyone for so long, stung them a bit, but the fact that she did it to protect her little sister from the same cage that bound them all, went a long way to understanding. Then they find out that her situation had been worse than imagined, and she had lost her name and eyes in their defense, and despite that, had now seemingly given them freedom, even if it was not official yet, most were certain she had succeeded in her promise from long ago. So for the most part, she had nothing but respect and even worship, on the other hand, she truly was no longer a Hyuuga, and despite being Branch House members, the arrogance and pride of the Hyuuga is universal among them all, except for Hinata and Hanabi (Although no one outside of her 'true' family knows about the latter's true thoughts on that matter), and it made it jarring, for many could only look at her with nothing but pity for having lost the most important things as far as they were concerned. Despite the seal on them, being without their eyes was a fate worse than death or the caged bird seal to them. Nonetheless, the two on Guard were Shinobi, ninjas of Konoha. Regardless of clan pride or arrogance, they understood that Hinata was the stronger ninja, and she had done what many many others had dreamed of, or claimed they were going to do. Where they all failed, Hinata had succeeded. She was ninja who did not deviate from her nindo, and completed her self-impossed mission. To them, nothing else mattered.

"Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, Uzumaki-san, we did not know you were outside at this late of an hour, or we would have sent out search parties for you Hanabi-sama."

Hanabi waved it away in a non-Hyuuga gesture, "Don't worry about it, I was spending the time with my big sister. It has been far too long since I could be open with her in public, so I was clearly carried away." Both guards accepted that explanation, and smiled along with Hinata at her statement.

"The Main House is currently empty and guarded by the Hokage's ANBU since they have been searching for info on their illegal action. I am confident that Ko and his wife would be happy to house you all tonight however."

Although it pleased Hinata that her former bodyguard could be counted on, she would not impose on him at such an hour, nor would she willingly break her exile, simply because no one would punish her for it. "Thank you both, however, I am not allowed passage into the Hyuuga household, on pain of execution, barring a specific call from the Head of House, so I will just be going back to my apartment. Please thank Ko for helping my sister though, and send him my regards." With that she bowed to the two.

Both guards were once again shocked, but quickly bowed back, even if they didn't know she could actually 'see' them, that is not an excuse from doing the right thing. "Hinata-sama, no amount of thanks would ever be enough to cover what we feel. As fellow Shinobi of the Leaf, we speak for every registered Hyuuga, if ever you need anything, please call on us. We will do everything in our power to assist you."

"Thank you both, and thank all the others as well. At the moment, I merely ask that you protect and teach my sister when I am unable to."

"The house will die before she comes to harm."

"Also, although Hanabi will call on you all tomorrow to announce it, I wish you two to know that getting the truth out into the open was only the first step. The Main House will be under guard and interrogation for at least two more days. Tomorrow afternoon, we will have finished setting up proper rooms for the removal of that Cursed Seal." At that declaration, both guards sucked in their breaths quickly as their eyes widened. "I would have done this sooner, but I needed to find a way to remove the seal, or I would have simply given you freedom for a couple of days before the Main House was released and simply killed you all in retaliation, before they could be forced by the Fire Daimyo and Konoha to release you. Now though, once they are released, you will all be free of their control and threat. They will fall, permanently." Her voice was cold and deadly at that last word, it sent shivers down the three Hyuuga's spines.

Still, both guards threw themselves into a dogeza. "Hinata-sama, we may not have the power, but even if it means giving our lives, we will make sure you can come back here as the Hero you are, instead of as an exiled criminal. We swear this to you. You have given us our lives, on top of our freedom. Your name will forever be recorded in the annals of our history!"

Hinata had blushed a bit at their extreme reaction, but it suddenly turned to pure shock the gates behind them opened, and out came out more and more Hyuuga members, each one lining up next to the guards and falling into their own dogezas. Those who could fit in the line, or behind them started going around and creating a circle. Should anyone had come out, they would have believed to be in a genjutsu. Every single Hyuuga member seemed to have woken up and come out to bow to the trio. To add to the confusion of the 'blind' girl, Hanabi stepped away from them, turned around, and got into her own dogeza. However, when Naruto seemed to start to go with the flow, Hinata's hand struck out with the speed of a serpent and latched onto his arm, refusing to allow the man who stood by her and helped make her dream a reality bow to her. "You have just as much right to be here Naruto. Without your and Danzo's knowledge in Fuinjutsu, the removal of the seal would have remained out of reach for much longer." Naruto almost grinned at her 'subtle' way of promoting Danzo for later helping Hyuuga children into ROOT, thankfully, his embarrassment at the huge crowd of bowing people helped him conceal his urge to grin at his incredible partner.

So instead, the two stood there, surrounded by almost two hundred Hyuuga, all bowing with their heads to the ground.

* * *

Hinata and Naruto were not the only ones having quite the surprising morning.

Kiba and Akamaru had been splashed with water from his mother and sister. Due to his embarrassing failure at the preliminary to Shika, his parents decided to up his training while his sensei taught the only member of his team to pass. Maito Gai and Anko would have been impressed with what he was being put through.

* * *

Kin woke up in an unfamiliar place. Granted, the hotel that she had stayed in for a night prior to the exam was an unfamiliar place as well, but this wasn't even that. Adrenaline fought of her drowsiness in an instant and she bolted up. Or rather, she tried. Instead, she found a couple of extra legs kept her own pinned down, panicking a slight amount she looked to see who had her hostage, when she saw a pair of naked bodies… VERY well-muscled naked bodies. Upon seeing the sweet boy and girl who she had hung out with last night, the rest of the memories crashed into her. She was thankful that the two were still asleep, otherwise they would have seen her face completely red from embarrassment. She was a Kunoichi of Oto, on a mission to help with the invasion of Konoha. She was instrumental to it, as she was the only of the three Oto Genin to make it to the finals, allowing more of their Shinobi to infiltrate the village. Why the hell was she sleeping with the enemy so freaking literally, immediately after meeting them!?

As if Kami himself heard her, both Lee and Tenten rolled over, Lee slightly away, showcasing his cheese grating abs and large … snake. In embarrassment at the memories of how he kept going and going the night before, she turned towards her partner and savior, for without her taking half the attention, Kin was certain she wouldn't be able to walk right for a few days. Tenten had rolled into her, trying to seek the lost warmth from when Kin sat up. Although not as chiseled as Lee, Tenten still had a well-toned body that most proper Kunoichi, which she considered herself, would be envious of. She certainly was, considering how in Oto, they just forced her to learn Genjutsu, as that is the only thing they felt she could do…

 _'How hard would it be to officially switch loyalties to Konoha? After all, Oto only has Orochimaru as an S class ninja, and Suna only has the Kazekage and Gaara. By the looks of it, Gaara is close friends with Konoha, so he might not help them properly. And according to the crazy powerful blind girl.'_ Kin shivered at the memory of those empty eye sockets. Another reminder that Konoha was stronger than they were told by Orochimaru, if they had GENIN like her around, or Naruto, Lee, and Tenten, what would their Jonin be like? _'Konoha should have SEVERAL S-ranked shinobi BESIDES their Kage…'_

As Tenten gripped her slightly harder and tugged her down, as if wanting her to come back where she belongs, Kin made her choice. She would ask them to help her with her training. Depending on how that went for a week or so, she would decide where her chances of survival where best. Orochimaru may have saved her life, and given her a place to learn and grow stronger, but based on the current company, and a bit of hindsight, clearly they didn't put too much effort into it. So they shouldn't be pissed that she betrayed the betrayers for friendly people who might help her get stronger… and were amazing in bed, unlike those pompous raping assholes… _'I don't think I will even take that long to decide the more I remember what my options are.'_

That thought cleared, she finally acquiesced and fell back into Tenten arms, and firm bossom. Lee coming up from behind and spooning her.

* * *

Anko and Kurenai had yet to go to sleep… thankfully, Kurenai still had enough presence of mind while molded unto the shorter Kunoichi carrying her to their shared apartment, to throw out a few Genjutsus that would hide all the sounds that they would and certainly did create, allowing their neighbors to sleep.

* * *

"What's up Shino?"

"Sensei, do you get the feeling that we are missing out on many interesting or important situations?"

Asuma took a deep drawl on his cigarette. "Every day since Kurenai figured she was at the very least bisexual if not full on homosexual and in love with Anko for years. Every day."

"…Is that why you started training us properly and make us come out earlier each day?"

"Need something to keep my mind off it."

"Then I should thank Team 8 and Kurenai-san. You have been an excellent teacher since then, and I am going to require that more than ever, since my last match showed that I need to improve on my taijutsu and tactics more."

"Well then, let us get going. When Shika finally makes it here, he will help you with tactics."

* * *

Shikamaru was currently on top of the Hokage monument watching the clouds. He had been woken up early by his mother, despite having known that he came home late thanks to the party, since Asuma still wanted them to meet at this Kami forsaken hour. After his breakup with his 'secret' 'not-girlfriend', he had been trying to drown his sorrows by drowning them in training.

It may have been troublesome to climb all the way up here, but Naruto was right, it had the best view, and little to no traffic, so he was undisturbed. Plus, no one but Naruto knew that he came here, so no one would know to look here.

He would head down to the team meeting later.

* * *

Kakashi was sleeping in the same room that Sasuke occupied, still being unconscious from having had the Curse Seal of Heaven… well, sealed.

Unbeknownst to the worst Jonin-sensei of MANY a generation, his other student was in the room adjacent to them, recovering from the injuries sustained by Kin during the prelims.

Dosu was in a similar room, across the hallway, sleeping away his Chakra Exhaustion… too bad Orochimaru had a different plan, as he quickly kidnapped his genin, and left to get his other sacrifice. Since she was admitted into the finals, he would have left her alive, but the Kyuubi brat had killed his other possible sacrifice (He actually could sacrifice ANYONE of his ninja, but these three were the weakest.) so he would be taking her.

Luckily for Kin, who in another life, would have been sacrificed to summon the soul of the Nidaime. She had spent her night with Tenten and Lee, and as such, Orochimaru could not find her, deciding that he was wasting too much time as It was, he simply left, taking Dosu with him, planning to use someone else. Now he needed to find someone to sacrifice for the Nidaime and Yondaime. Orochimaru sighed, the difficulties of a leader.

* * *

Ibiki was still enjoying his night's success in the morning. He had managed to get a couple of the Hyuuga switched over to his department as full on traitors of the Leaf. He was now within his right to torture them until they died, and as a gift to Anko and her possibly soon-to-be adopted child, he would make sure the one with the right blood type died. As they weren't sealed, and as a corpse, he wouldn't need his eyes. He thought that it would make Kurenai happy enough that Anko would be happy enough, to stop her from stealing all the fun targets.

* * *

Baki had had a hell of a morning. Kankuro had been disbelieving of what he had been told until Gaara and Temari showed up. Kankuro had almost been mutinous against them, his loyalty to his father, the Kazekage would, under any other circumstances, be a great thing. In this case, it was winning against his loyalty to his siblings and teacher. Thankfully, after a bit of talking, Temari won him over.

Baki then prepared himself for heading to the Hokage and revealing the situation. Or at least he had, until Gaara told him NOT to. Instead, he would stay and act as he would if he had still been planning to invade Konoha. Otherwise, Kabuto, or any other of Orochimaru's spies would get suspicious. Instead, he and Temari would join Naruto later that day, and he would take them to his 'Jiji', where Gaara and Temari would explain the situation.

Baki accepted it as the best plan, and instead took Kabuto to go meet up with Maito Gai, who he was informed would be meeting up later with his team to begin their training. Anko had recommended getting Kankuro to him first, since she would be busy for a couple days, and it would increase the amount of time she could tortu—train him.

* * *

Choji was enjoying an Akimichi styled breakfast.

* * *

Kabuto was hiding his blinding headache behind his carefree smile. Talking with Orochimaru's 'spies' always made him wonder at the intelligence level of the Elemental Nations Ninja's. Seriously, how the heck did some of these fools not get caught immediately. Konoha's ANBU and Danzo's Root may be good at BEING spies, but clearly they SUCKED at catching them if Oto's spies continued being as effective as they had been.

Torune who was tasked with tailing Orochimaru's right hand man, would have chuckled at the situation… if he hadn't been an Aburame. It might be believed that ROOT was all emotionless. They weren't, oh sure, they might be MOSTLY socially inept, since they spent more time training or on missions, but Danzo didn't seal away their emotions or break them mentally (Too often, some did need to be broken). Nah, Danzo understood that emotions are important, they just needed to be controlled completely, so as to know WHEN to use them. Torune had joined ROOT slightly later than most, so he still remembered how to make decent jokes… among Aburame, and this most definitely counted.

Poor fools thought they didn't know who every single spy in Konoha was. Kabuto didn't even realize that the spy he was talking to, was playing stupid to piss him off, since he actually one of Kumo's VERY rare spies, who decided that he earned more money giving the same info to others.

It was hilarious.

And people thought Aburame and ROOT agents didn't have emotions.

* * *

Yoroi would never wake up again. Kabuto had killed him on the way to his current spy meeting. It was by getting rid of such a major headache that he could deal with his current case. He almost skipped to his meeting with the spy thanks to how free and happy he felt. He should thank the Suna girl for getting rid of the other one.

* * *

Ino woke up early, despite not wanting to. Sadly, Anko had made it impossible to oversleep, even knowing she was occupied with Kurenai, she wouldn't put it past that sadist to send a snake to wake them up.

She hadn't, but it didn't stop Ino from getting up and preparing for the day as per usual.

Plus, she was sure that Hinata and Naruto were doing something interesting. She had wanted to stay with them last night, but her dad had come to pick her up, congratulating her on her 'victory'.

She had asked him to train her further in the clan arts… and the bastard had the audacity to tell her that she could wait a bit, and that she should instead focus on perfecting her current skill set…

HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW GOOD SHE CURRENTLY WAS!?

She had gotten to the point that she could cast the clan techniques that she knew SEALLESSLY! As well as two of her Raiton jutsu! Whatever, she would go and check on her personal greenhouses of medicinal and poisonous plants. She had just finished creating a new hybrid of the famed Fire Flower. It would be a perfect and unexpected weapon for the invasion planned during the Final Chunin Exam's tournament style fights. It would also be a perfect gift to Anko-sensei for her marriage to Kurenai. She needed to start testing it to start gaining immunity to it, which she was NOT looking forward to, considering how painful the NORMAL Fire Flower poison was. The thought that she would be able to use this particular poison with her Poison Mist Jutsu though, made it MORE than worth it.

It would be the third poison she would be able to use as such, and the second 'non'-lethal. Considering just how much pain and suffering they will be going through, they just might kill themselves to avoid any more pain. Well, they would wish for it with their very being, but since this hybrid, unlike the original, also scrambled the bodies nerve signals, they would try to lift their hands, and accidently twitch their pinky toe, or the like. It would prove VERY VERY hard to kill themselves on purpose.

Although she didn't notice the malicious smile or the downright evil glint that appeared on her features, she still recognized that Anko had corrupted her horribly, and she downright loved it.

Too bad that Naruto and Hinata would be busy for the next few days with the Hyuuga seal, otherwise she would be imitating Anko-sensei further and keeping them occupied in their home for the next few days.

It was so nice to have a handsome strong man and woman who appreciated and accepted everything about her.

Neji hadn't awoken yet, the fact that Hinata destroyed everything he held as universal truth, stomped on them, and then spit on it nearly broke his mind, despite the fact that he had ALWAYS wanted to step away from that, but felt it was impossible. Then she goes and simultaneously strikes the general area of all his tenketsu with a modified Juken like effect, shutting them all down, and even hurting his Chakra pathways a bit. Nothing permanent, but he would be out for at least another two or three days.

Regardless of having gone down her path by choice, and that he was merely a stupid stubborn child who refused to listen to reason or common sense. Neji did go VERY VERY far to 'punish' his 'weak' cousin who supposedly caused his father's death. And unlike what was considered common belief.

Hinata knew how to hold a grudge long before she had met Anko.

* * *

 **AN: OKAY!** I am going to put a stop on this here. This was originally planned as a One-shot…

Then It flew away from me. **BADLY**. I just ended up cramming a BUNCH of stuff in between. Since I wanted to explain HOW it got to that… and it kept getting stretched out, and out, and out.

Originally this was going to be them showing up in the First Exam exactly as they did, the Second Exam start, exactly as they did, then it would skip to them showing up joking around with the Suna team into the prelims of the Second Exam… like they did… but without everything that I wrote in-between.

The multiple perspectives was also NOT planned.

Outside of Hinata's fight, which did NOT go as planned anyway, none of the rest were supposed to be mentioned or written. Heck, I decided to have fun and used a dice generator to decide the pairs. I had honestly wanted to write Ino in a fight… as you can see, I failed to do so thanks to "FATE!" SHUT UP NEJI!

The ONLY planned fight aside from Hinata and Neji was Sasuke and Yoroi, since I 'implicated' (Not terribly subtly) that some fights were rigged for favorable outcomes. Those two were the only ones.

Anyway, clearly some fights I could care less about as you can see. I was serious about the dice generator choosing the pairs. So getting Kabuto and Gaara together was a nigh-godsend, since I am not certain I would have been able to pull of his planned method of embarrassing his opponent properly.

Kin and Sakura was also surprising, but I was not complaining and decided to run with the chance to include Kin into the story more permanently.

Shikamaru and Kiba… I am not certain that Shikamaru would honestly win said fight, and as such, decided to merely skip it and say he did. XD I like Shika and don't really like Kiba. Nothing against him… but I don't like him all that much.

Same with Shino and Dosu.

Temari's was not what I planned, since I am not sure she HAS said Jutsu… but seeing as how this is partly crack anyway, I said why the hell not. I liked how it came out.  
Same with Naruto, I decided that he had full control over his Wind Nature Chakra, to levels the Nidaime was famed to control his Water Nature Chakra. Not to mention that he and Kurama are buddy buddy, while Kurama still remains relatively bloodthirsty for fools and Uchiha. He will be a bit sore that his partner's mate will have a Sharingan, but since she is NOT an arrogant Uchiha, AND the mate of his partner, it will be an acceptable situation. If anything, if (When) she gets good enough, she could help them if they face an Uchiha who captures them. So using the Kyuubi's KI to kill Zaku was fun. Always hated Zaku.

Tenten and Kankuro was another fun pairing. I decided to add her large Meteor Hammer from Shippuden, without the explosives, instead she swung it purely with her, now considerably higher to cannon, strength. Being closer to Lee does that to a woman. Kankuro is another character that I place beside Kiba. Nothing REALLY against him, but I don't quite like him. Although messing with him has been REALLY fun.

Lee and Choji, I just summarized how I thought that Lee would act, since there was really no one besides Kin and Gaara who be able to fight him. Since no one else used Genjutsu or have a nigh impenetrable sand shield. Ino, barring some luck and good planning would lose. Hinata and Naruto would have a REALLY hard time against his gates, since both like him and would REFUSE to do anything but fight him head-on instead of using Genjutsu (Hinata) or just removing the air from their surroundings to suffocate him (Naruto), although he would use his Kyuubi cloak if it got to that point, since Lee would accept nothing less.

As for some of Hinata's or Naruto's comments seeming contradictory to what is actually going on. Recall that their relationship, both with each other and Danzo is a secret, I will explain that in more detail in another release later, but that is why some things seem off.

Also, I didn't have time to really edit this thoroughly, so forgive me for any errors. I will go over it later a bit more.


	2. Naruto - Caravan Palace Random Info

**A/N:** Ok. Wow, I just quickly reread the previous chapter and realised just how BAD it was. There was a CRAPTON of plot holes since I wrote it in parts as it came to me over a period of a month, back even before I started writing **Second Life** (Which I assure all readers of that I am going to post for soon. Both a new chapter, as well as the second 'Sheet of Stuff'.) So I apologize severely for this and the previous chapter not being up to my usual standard, but I have no Beta or Editor, and I don't have the urge nor time to do it myself for these quick muses that I have gone through over the years. Hence them being placed here of all places. As stated in the summary, if anyone likes and wants to adopt even part of the ideas, go for it!

Maybe some day in the future I or someone nice will polish them up a bit. Till then, here is what I had written for it long before today!:

* * *

A/N: The continuation of my Multi-Chapter Naruto ONE SHOT!

As stated, this was supposed to be MUCH MUCH smaller, but it got away from me and grew on its own. Nonetheless I am having much fun with it. So here is the next part. First though, some answers to background info, so that I don't go and write up another huge section with a flashback.

This iteration of Naruto is slightly darker than some, and cannon. Naruto was physically assaulted in this verse, not just ignored, overcharged and kicked out of stores. As with some dark stories, the ANBU did not immediately assist Naruto, this was because the council claimed that Hiruzen was 'Draining Konoha Resources' on 'Unimportant matters'. The Sandaime, being the spineless wimp that he is, coupled with his OVERconfidence in the 'Will of Fire' and the 'Goodness' of his subjects agreed and pulled the ANBU from Naruto's protection detail when he was four. Que being kicked from the orphanage, and living hell. As per cannon, he did NOT give up, and kept up his façade. This was when Hinata found him.

Hinata was NOT weak and cowardly like cannon. She decided to get strong immediately after the Kumo incident, where she had unlocked her Byakugan in her desperation to see outside the confines of the sack she had been so rudely shoved into, but decided to hide it, since she did not want Hanabi to become sealed. Both due to Hinata's love to her mother and her mother's dying wish for her to protect her little sister, as well as due to Hinata's own love for her little sister. She was initially just going to do what Neji had said, and remain weak to avoid any possible problems. However, she ran into Naruto, and saw how he was treated worse than she was, yet retained a wide smile on his face. Curious, she followed him and observed him for the day. What started there was her infatuation with a boy who could clearly beat the crap out of the civilians who attacked him verbally and physically, but chose not to. She finally understood that one did not HAVE to remain weak to SEEM weak. Curious as to why he did what he did, instead of defending himself, she approached him. His response? "I plan to be the Hokage. I know that the job is hard and thankless. I have seen how much Jiji suffers under that hat. Despite all that though, he goes out of his way to provide for a street urchin like me. He is a man worthy of respect, and I want the same for myself. For that, I need to be strong, to gain that respect and protect everyone below me as the Hokage. As it stands though, most of this village hates me as you saw, so I cannot openly show that I am strong. Right now, they attack me, yes, but it is weak, tailored to a weak brat. If they found out I was strong, they would get worried about my retaliation, so they would go out of their way to hamper me. They would make the attacks stronger and the consequences of them last longer. As it stands, thanks to my healing, I can continue within a couple hours after the attacks. So I will continue gaining strength in secret, until it is needed to protect this village or my precious people." His words that day shook the young Hinata to the core. It caused her infatuation with him, as well as her new goal of getting strong enough to protect Hanabi if she was attacked. After all, being weak may stop Hanabi from getting the Seal, but it would do nothing to stop a Jonin from Kumo from kidnapping her.

Unknown to either of them, Danzo, going behind the Hokage's and Council's backs, had assigned two of his ROOT agents to protect the Jinchuriki every day, only to step in when it got dangerous, of course, but protection nonetheless. The reports of his urge to get strong made him want to approach him even more, once he got the report of the Hyuuga Heiress he had her tailed by an agent as well. Soon, right before the academy would have started, he approached them both, who by that point had struck a close friendship, helping each other. He could not get them into ROOT, however much he wanted to, since they were highly visible and priority targets, so he instead used his highly vaunted wisdom to 'assist' them, and get them as allies outside of ROOT. After all, the roots may protect and holds up the tree, but it still needed the branches and leaves to absorb nutrients from the sun, and make it grow big and strong. He told them about and led them to where Maito Gai began his morning trainings, and how to interact with him so as to get his help. He also provided one of his ROOT agents to teach them in the safe confines of their homes at night, about the IMPORTANT things that the academy did NOT cover such as politics and Konoha laws, which interested them both greatly for personal reasons. As well as ninjutsu practices when they had individual free time, seeing that Naruto was also a Futon user made it that much better for both parties. From that point on, both had two ROOT agents with them at all times. Also, Danzo himself went to Kurama Yakumo and helped her control her inner-demon, which in turn meant that Yuhi Kurenai kept her as an apprentice and gave Hinata more 'free' time.

Although it frustrated Danzo greatly, that despite the continuous lessons, Uzumaki continued being excessively cheerful… even if it was originally a mask meant to hide himself, he now had reasons to be happy. Between Hinata, the Ichirakus, the Hokage, Gai, Danzo and his ROOT, and recently Iruka thanks to his pranking, he had many people who liked him for being him. Sure, Danzo may have said it was because they were politically important pieces, (He revealed the truth of the Kyuubi and his Parentage to Naruto relatively early on, who then revealed it to Hinata. This also helped him contact and befriend Kurama earlier [albeit in a different manner, with Kurama getting more concessions out of Naruto, and influencing him more. This meant that Naruto is bit more bloodthirsty and has a darker humor, whereas the Kyuubi was a lot more relaxed and friendlier, except with Uchihas.] and allowed him to gain a lot of control over the Biju Cloak, despite not having released him yet.) and it was in essence even true. There was no denying that Danzo would get rid of them if they threatened Konoha at this point. However, like Hiruzen, Homura and the like, they had wormed their way into being the closest thing to friends that Danzo would ever truly allow. As such, Danzo would ONLY get rid of them now, if they TRULY threatened Konoha. The same could be said about the ROOT agents, both older and younger. Even with their training and loyalty to Danzo, they would hesitate a bit if he ordered them to kill the two, and they would make sure that their deaths were quick and painless.

So, as you would see, these three already had a long history together. Danzo is still being Danzo, like in cannon, but he doesn't meddle in the open like he did before, and has no interest in taking Hiruzen's place anymore. In matter of fact, he would actually help push Naruto forward, knowing he had a proper ally in the chair who would know what to do, and have the guts to follow through with it. Not to mention actually HELP Danzo work from the shadows as well. On the flip side, Hinata decided that if Naruto, as the Sun that he was, would be Hokage, she would follow protocol, and reside in the darkness of his shadow like the Moon that she was. Although she would not be as FRAKING OBVIOUS about it like Danzo was, that she was most likely doing shady things behind everyone's back. With these paths set, Danzo 'chillled', as much as he can anyway, making him a much better ally and protectorate of Konoha than in cannon, as well as starting to reveal more classified info to them. (He of course still acted like the dick that he was in Cannon to everyone else, and even them when in public. Appearances must be maintained after all. They of course acted like they didn't know or like/trust him. Ninja's doing ninja things.)[Side note, Naruto did in fact get into pranking people, with Hinata and even some ROOT agents assisting later on, because: One, it was great stress relief, and it helped build his façade among the populace. Two, it did help train them in stealth, evasion, trap building/setting, infiltration, and tactics. Three, when used against the shinobi of Konoha, it helped make many of them train to AVOID such situations, as such, helped strengthen Konoha as a whole (Hence Danzo and ROOTs eventual support, especially when Naruto started pranking them too, and proving that they could work on Counter-Intrusion and other such things as well.), and among the smarter ninja, built Naruto's reputation as being secretly skilled. (And for the few who were among the best, also built on Hinata's reputation among those particular ninja.)]

In a surprising twist of fate, Naruto and Hinata actually ran into Mitarashi Anko about a year before their 'graduation', when she was weakened due to one of Orochimaru's cursed 'toys' being in proximity, and proceeded to rescue her from a combination of said hidden Oto Ninja and a few Konoha Chunin who wanted a piece of the Snake Whore. Asking her to keep their secret, as expected, just made her incredibly interested in the two academy brats, reputed to be weak, who managed to take out four ninja with no visible effort, even if they did use a surprise attack. They got to know her well after that and added her to the list of friends. It was due to that, the convenience, and their request, that Danzo used his influence (They knew about his Sharingan and its ability, but never mentioned it out of curtesy.) to get her promoted to Jonin, and assigned as their Jonin-sensei as a CIA (Capture, Interogation, Assassination) team, over Yuhi Kurenai who the Hokage wanted to train a tracking and capture squad. Danzo had to actually flex the muscle inbetween his ears, with Naruto's 'innocent' comments about how much he liked Anko-neechan, to convince the Hokage to capitulate on that one. He really didn't want Naruto on a CIA team, and didn't understand how Hinata could POSSIBLY be a good choice for it. Ino was chosen as the third member on Anko and Danzo's request, and that one ACTUALLY made sense. These actions are actually what allowed Sakura to be selected for one the primary teams, since originally, the primary teams were going to be: Kakashi, leading an All Purpose team with Sasuke, Naruto, and Shino. Kurenai with a Tracking and Capture, with Kiba, Hinata, and Yakumo. Asuma with the Ino-Shika-Cho team. Instead, with Yakumo staying simply as Kurenai's apprentice. Anko got her requests of Naruto, Hinata, and Ino.

Afterwards, most can be inferred relatively easily.

Kakashi got a Heavy Assault team with Choji and Sasuke, Sakura was put on the team simply because no one else fit as well, and her perfect Chakra Control gave them hope that she would be an Iryo-nin. The Tracking and Capture squad was made up of Shika, Kiba and Shino, led by Asuma, since he had more combat experience than Kurenai, despite her Genjutsu's being useful for capture, and if she brought Yakumo as the third member, they would have to move Shika over to Kakashi's team… EVERYONE agreed that putting a Nara with Hatake was a BAD idea.

Ino spat and complained about everything until Anko put them through the paces, and the other two succeeded without issue. Then came the sparring, where Naruto and Hinata were fighting Anko on near equal footing on one on one matches (This is without the Kyuubi Cloak or releasing any Gates as well as with the numerous resistance seals {Makes it so that simple walking was as if they were trudging through water or slime [Although theirs is at a MUCH higher level than that.]} and advanced fuinjutsu weights {Spreads the weight uniformly among their entire body, as if increasing the planet's gravity to them. [This cannot be put too far, as it could cause damage to their young bodies.]} . [Hinata can go up to the fifth gate as of graduation, the sixth as of the Chunin Exam Final. Naruto will never be able to go beyond his second gate thanks to being the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. He also is unable to use the gates in combination with his Kyuubi Cloak.], and overpowering her easily when working together. Thanks to the knowledge that she was not only the weakest among her team, by a LOOOOONG shot, but that she was the weakest among all the graduating Genin of her year, except for Sakura, by once again, a long shot (Along with some 'choice' verbiage from her new sensei, Hinata being forceful and berating, and Naruto being roguish and handsome.), led her to want to get better, fast. So they helped her, with Ino having three sensei's instead of one, and none of them letting her give up, she did in fact grow quickly, although not nearly strong enough to face any of the three, she is mid-high Chunin overall by the time the Chunin Exams roll around. She was obviously the one who convinced them to use the exam to troll everyone, with Anko's backing, while also getting them 'properly' dressed.

Sasuke is still a self-absorbed prick with the self-title of Avenger, even worse actually, since Team 8 took the Wave mission instead of Team 7, so he never had to face true opposition, only some weak bandits. (On purpose, and knowing what they would face, thanks to their own understanding of Wave, and ROOT's extensive knowledge of the Elemental Nations. [Anko, was eventually brought into the 'know' of ROOT, when they felt that they could successfully remove Anko's Cursed Seal of Heaven. Which they did shortly after graduation, although Anko went ahead and got a different seal that acted like Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred {Created originally by Danzo for his ROOT agents to store chakra and act as a method of destroying the body to erase any trace of their existence upon death.} seal that was altered to look like the cursed seal, to avoid suspicion and give her a further secret advantage. Neither of the other two could use it thanks to the use of the Gates or the Biju Cloak interrupting it.  
Sakura is still a Fangirl of the worst kind, although she has come to like and rely on Choji though thanks to being teammates and his prime defendant among the team..  
Choji is Choji. Although due to him being the one that Sakura unloads on (Verbally, not physically like on Naruto. Also, it is more of crying out her soul to a priest instead of hitting a punching bag.), he has become more protective of her, and is fairly negative against Sasuke and Kakashi, although he doesn't really show it. Any observant ninja could see it, which shocks those who know Choji, and gives Sakura mixed feelings. Since he is against her Sasuke-kun… but he is doing it because of how Sasuke-kun treats her, and as such is defending her… She also agrees with his feelings towards their horrible sensei who doesn't teach them anything, is always late, ignores them (Unless it is Sasuke), etcetera.  
Kiba is even more arrogant thanks to being in a team with Shika and Shino, despite Asuma's attempts. Although he is also more protective of his team/pack, since he has in fact found himself as the 'Alpha' of the pact.  
Shika… is still Shika. Although he has found life more troublesome with Kiba constantly hounding him, although not as much as if he had Ino hounding him.  
Shino is Shino. No changes.

As explained, Team 8, helped hook up Anko and Kurenai in this story. I liked how I did that. Hinata and Naruto are TECHNICALLY together… but theirs is a very unusual relationship, what with how they grew up. Honestly, it wasn't until Anko that they actually considered their relationship in anything other than that of best friends and professionals with life plans they were helping each other work towards. They both most certainly HAD feelings for each other, but neither had enough knowledge on them to act on them in such a matter until then (Also, they are rather young, so nothing really lost.). Ino had wanted to muscle her way into their relationship since Naruto is quite the catch once her eyes were opened, and thanks to Anko's influence on all three of them, they agreed, hence the three way relationship. (Hinata and Ino are in as much a relationship as Hinata and Naruto or Naruto and Ino. [The fact that Hinata KNEW that Naruto would require multiple children due to him being the last member of both the Uzumaki and Namikaze lines (Ino does not know any of this, she is just being true to her emotions), and knowing that neither Naruto or Hinata could or would allow her to be a breeding mother, meant that they both had known, starting the original relationship, that Naruto would require other partners, of which both preferred people they knew and cared about, making it easy to accept Ino's advances.])

Taking a page from **Rorschach's Blot** , I used Gai's ultimate pick-up line, and had it revealed to Lee, thanks to Anko's suggestions (Thanks to hanging around the two and getting closer to Gai, prior to him getting his team, she had some influence over him and helped with suggestions such as the that one.). This lead to Tenten finding out about it one day when Lee blurted out he was going to 'Spread and temper his Flames of Youth' at the bar, causing her to follow him in curiosity. It happened after that just like Gai stated in **Rorschach's Blot's** story. This lead to Tenten training with Gai and Lee more, to help her better withstand and recover from her new relationship with Lee. (This explains her increased abilities in the Chunin Exams, as this was about 7 months prior to the current period.) Seeing Lee's success in ACTUALLY 'spreading his Flames of Youth' to Tenten (since it made her train almost at their level after the event), Gai kinda became creepy with his questioning of Tenten and Lee's sexual situation, in an attempt to recreate it, since his such attempts never gave him those results. Needless to say, Anko, Hinata and Naruto found it hilarious. Danzo apparently trying to subtly help Gai by sending him a list of names, places, and times, since it DID seem to work with certain kinds of Kunoichi, and even some jealous males trying to imitate Gai's sudden rise as a sex symbol, had the hospital admit Anko, Hinata and Naruto later that night with similar cases of broken ribs, irritated eyes, hurt lungs and raw throats. They later admitted a comatose Kakashi and gave medication to the Hokage thanks to the sudden increase of YOUTH among the ranks of Konoha's Shinobi. (None wore the Green Jumpsuit though.) This allowed me to bring Kin along for the road with Lee and Tenten. Neji never found out (Or cared) WHY or HOW they got together. As such, unlike **Rorschach's Blot's** version, he was not inspired by the Flames of Youth.  
Yuugao and Hayate are cannon.

There are no other successful or known relationships as of this point.

This story's timeline makes the graduation about five months prior to the Chunin exams. So Gai took on his team eleven months prior to the current exam. Hinata and Naruto met and saved Anko approximately fourteen months prior to the exam. They were already acquainted with Kurenai since they were four, although not until befriending Anko that they got truly close to Kurenai. Anko and Kurenai hooked up two months prior to the exams, which caused Asuma to start training his team more. Naruto and Hinata have been working with Danzo since they were both five, same with Gai. Hinata lost her eyes and name about a month prior to the current exam, where Anko immediately took a B ranked mission out of Konoha for her team, that was actually done by Danzo's ROOT agents, to give her time to help Hinata learn how to live without her eyes, get over the situation, and keep the other three from busting into the Hyuuga Household and slaughtering everyone. Even Danzo had to collect himself (Internally of course.) to prevent a hasty repetition of the Uchiha incident, with fewer casualties. Instead they worked out something similar to what actually happened, although the timing and method of initiation was not expected, but it worked out better it seemed. (Danzo had already planned to give Hinata Shisui's eye eventually upon his death, but this opportunity allowed him to give her another Sharingan, with the hopes that she could get used to them long before getting Shisui's, he decided to keep it a secret for a bit though, so as to see how she dealt with life when faced with TRUE adversity and a crippling condition. It was kind of ironic that the woman he was training to replace him and his position, would also be able to claim and look like a cripple.)

The team befriending Gaara was actually NOT planned. Naruto had obviously wanted to, but according to all their reports, it seemed that it was going to be impossible, so they planned for his capture and having his Biju released and resealed elsewhere, then killing him in public to make it seem as if the Biju wouldn't be back for about three years, while actually being used by Konoha in secret. Although a bit put out, Danzo accepted their decision to befriend them and bring them to their side, since it meant they now had four fully trained Shinobi on their side, one of which was a powerful Jinchuriki. Hence his acceptance, plus, he had gotten used to the duo and their actions, as well as how often they tend to be spot on in their thoughts with regards to possible allies and confidants. Such as Zabuza and Haku, which gave them an in to the Kiri Rebels, whom got the sudden support from an 'Unknown' group of powerful ANBU, cementing Kiri's relationship with Konoha, whenever Naruto took his place as Hokage. Or the new Daimyo of the Land of Snow, which received another 'unknown' group of powerful ANBU to help clear up, straighten out and strengthen the Shinobi of the recently renamed Hidden Village in Spring. A similar occurrence was reproduced over in the Land of Vegetables. How about that time when they saved the Hidden Village of Takigakure and in exchange for some powerful 'ANBU' to train and protect the Hidden Village, as well as 'removing' a 'problem' of theirs, Takigakure kept quiet about the situation to the world, and kept their alliance with Konoha rock solid. That 'problem' of theirs, was the Jinchuriki of Chomei, the Nanabi. They 'removed' the 'problem' by integrated her into Konoha as a survivor of a RARE 'Unknown' Bloodline from Kiri (To explain some of her abilities and her wings), who escaped from the civil war and came to Konoha. Thanks to Danzo's influence, she was easily passed through, and kept off the breeding program (To the surprise of all, since they were sure he would push such a thing, like the many times he had in the past. Although none of them knew that she didn't ACTUALLY have a bloodline, but instead a giant immortal chakra creature capable of mass destruction.)

Yes. Danzo had accepted that Uzumaki was VERY good at attaining allies, and would make an EXCELLENT Hokage, he just had to keep paving the road to facilitate that ascension, (Which is part of what I had ORIGINALLY planned for the one-shot.) which would be A LOT easier thanks to continuous use of Shisui's eye, Naruto's future announcement of his lineage, and the subsequent acceptance of it by the Council that Danzo had… suggested such a course of action. Plus Danzo and the Elders would also force Hiruzen to do so, cementing his place as the son of the Fourth Hokage. This would turn around the majority of Konoha's populace. Then Orochimaru should be striking, aiming to kill both Hiruzen and Naruto thanks to the reveal. It is uncertain how exactly he planned to do that, although Orochimaru would have to set up some kind of barrier to properly assure himself a duel with his aging sensei. While the Final Exam goes on, ROOT would be rooting out the caches of Oto shinobi hidden among the city in secret, Konoha shinobi's would be clearing out the summoning parties outside, and Danzo himself would take to the field and lead the forces properly while Hiruzen was occupied, gaining support from the general Shinobi population for when he announced Naruto as Hokage. With his actions with Hinata, he had the support of most of the Shinobi Clans. His name as Namikaze and Danzo's heavy lifting had him supported by the two Elders and a good portion of the civilian Council. His strength and character, plus Danzo's actions during the failed invasion should win him many of the Jonins. Finally, Danzo setting up a meeting between Naruto and the Fire Daimyo (Plus his connection to the Daimyo of Spring and Vegetable) meant he had the Fire Daimyo's backing too. His new position as Godaime Hokage was almost secure. The main problems would be Hiruzen and Jiraiya, since they were blinded to the truth of Naruto as he is, rather than what he showed or was. Plus the fact that Danzo supported him would make them instinctually defensive.

Strength guide [As of Chunin Exam Finals]:  
Uzumaki Naruto(Badger Summons): (Base, including the use of Gates) High A–Low S Rank, (Using Biju Cloak) High S Rank.  
Hinata(Lion Summons): (Base, including the use of Gates and Byakugan/Sharingan) High A-Mid S Rank.  
Yamanaka Ino(No summons): (Base including the use of Gates) Low-High B Rank.  
Mitarashi Anko(Snake Summons[Limited]): (Base) Mid-High A Rank, (Strength of a Hundred) Low-Mid S Rank. (Unlike Tsunade and Ship Sakura, the boost from Strength of a Hundred does not give Anko the MASSIVE strength boost that they get, nor has she had it NEARLY as long as they have to accrue as much Chakra. It nonetheless acts like the release of the Gates, granting her quite the overall boost. Unlike Tsunade, she does NOT have the Jinchuriki class regen with it. Anko uses it [as of the Chunin Exam, which all these stats are based on.] simply as opening several Gates and boosting her physical abilities, as well as an extra amount to use Ninjutsu or Summons.)

Uchiha Sasuke(No summons): (Base) Low-Mid B Rank, (Sharingan) High B Rank.  
Haruno Sakura(No summons): (Base) High D-Low C Rank.  
Akimichi Choji(No summons): (Base) Mid-High C Rank.  
Hakate Kakishi(Personal Dog Summons): (Base) High A Rank, (Sharingan) Low S Rank.

Nara Shikimaru(No summons): (Base) Low-Mid B Rank.  
Aburame Shino(No summons): (Base) High B Rank.  
Inuzuka Kiba(No summons): (Base)High C-Low B Rank, (With Akamaru) Mid-High B Rank.  
Sarutobi Asuma(No summons): (Base) High A Rank.

Tenten(No summons): (Base, including the use of Gates) High B-Low A Rank.  
Rock Lee(No summons): (Base, including the use of Gates) Low A-High A Rank.  
Hyuuga Neji(No summons): (Base, including use of Byakugan) Low A Rank.  
Maito Gai(Turtle Summons): (Base, including the use of Gates) High A-High S Rank, (Gate of Death) SS Rank.

Jiraiya (Toad Summons): (Base) Low S Rank, (Sage Mode) High S Rank.  
Senju Tsunade (Slug Summons): (Base) High A, (Strength of a Hundred) High S Rank. (Before you flame me, Tsunade has been 'retired' for almost twenty years now, and has BARELY kept herself in RELATIVE shape. Only her higher experience and skill allowed her to TIE with Kabuto, until he cheated in cannon. As the Hokage, she goes back to training and gets MUCH stronger again, but as of this story, or the Final Chunin Exam, yeah, this is it.)  
Shimura Danzo(Personal Tiger Summon): (Base, including hidden Sharingan)Low-High A Rank, (Arm Released) High A-Low S Rank.  
Sarutobi Hiruzen(Monkey Summons): (Base) Low S Rank. (Again, before you flame me, this man is nearing his 70s, FAR from his prime, and he has been behind a desk for nearing 14 years. Nor does he have any fancy Bloodlines that allow him to atomize large swaths of land. This is a man who became the best just with his badassness, what with mastering over a thousand Jutsus and knowing when to use them. Because his body [Despite his years of experience and Skill] is at Low A rank right now, at best, it means that his current rank is based purely on the strength of his Ninjutsu and experience. [The lack of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu is the SOLE reason that Gai is NOT a Low S Rank in his base.] Seriously, with the exception of Jiraiya, all the other S Ranks here require things like Sage Mode, Biju Cloaks, Sharingan, Releasing Gates, and etcetera. This man has nothing but his Base and Summons and is nearly twenty years older than Jiraiya. I mean, Danzo is the same age, and VASTLY weaker, even with his pseudo immortality through Izanagi, being physically stronger thanks to the Shodai's genes, and the advantages of Shisui's Sharingan.)

"…that was an… interesting week." Remarked our blond protagonist.

"Mhm."

"I'm serious. Kurenai developed TWO new Genjutsu's that can be used for interogations, infiltration, and keeping Anko happy. Anko was forced to rest an extra day thanks to how good Kurenai has become at satisfying her. Baki, and surprisingly Kin." He paused for a moment in thought,"Gotta give it to Bushy-Brows, he converted an enemy kunoichi with his Flames of Youth. Anyway, they gave the Hokage info on the invasion, and Danzo was somehow able to modify the Hokage's orders to increase their effectiveness, and rounded up all the spies to prevent further leakage while waiting for Oto-pedo and his toys. Kin is now hiding a Leaf Headband to replace her Sound one. Baki has gotten the Hokage's support to CAPTURE the Sand Ninja instead of killing them, and even Danzo pitched in, with the condition that they try to convince the Sand Ninja prior to the invasion, with no time for Sound to realize the switching of the sides. As well making Gaara the Kazekage. Baki and Temari took that well actually. Guess a sand controller, in a city surrounded by sand, sounds like a great idea for a Kage."

"Mmhmm."

"Anyway, Ino actually managed to open the second Gate, since her father is not helping her with access to new sections of her family skills. She also managed to get Tenten and Kin to teach Lee how to be stealthy, which is scary as hell. Maybe we can ask Zabuza to help him if we ever run into him again."

"Mmm."

"Right, We removed the Caged Bird Seal from every Hyuuga member, including Neji, before the rest of the Main House came back, well, the ones who weren't held back as traitors or law breakers of the Leaf. And since we personally did it, along with our… 'assistants', at the request of the current Hyuuga Heir while the Elder Hyuuga Council and Hyuuga Clan head were indisposed. We were completely within our legal right, and broke no clan laws… Hasn't stopped the assassination requests that Danzo has intercepted and sent to the ANBU for more arrests. Hm? You okay Hinata?"

"A little more to the left."

"Okay dear. Anyway, we had you and Hanabi brought in for questioning and released without issue. Due to the Hyuuga Head and Elder council all being assigned as traitors or other crimes, except, surprisingly, your grandfather from your father's side, then Hanabi will immediately be pushed to Clan Head, with a new council selected from the current available Hyuuga. So you should be getting your Byakugan back soon. Which, added in tandem with your new hidden Sharingan, means you will be hiding quite the list of surprises. Izumo, Kotetsu, Iruka, Shino and Choji have become part of the Maito Gai Youthful Training group, along with his team (Minus Neji), Kin, Kankuro, Temari, Gaara, Ino, Sakura, suprisignly enough, and us."

Hinata giggled, "The Sabaku siblings' response to that was really funny. Although seeing us keep up with the two really made Gaara, Iruka, Izumo, and Kotetsu, stick with it, when the rest of the guys that joined because of Gai's sudden elevation as sex symbol dropped it. With Gaara sticking to it, Temari decided to stick to it. Ino sticking to it, and doing better than them, led to Shino, Sakura and Choji to keep at it. And Kankuro is being forced to do it until Baki feels he isn't in danger of embarrassing Suna anymore. Well, minus the cat suit and make-up."

"I am still not sure what made Shino and Choji show up… I don't think they were brought in because of the possibility to join Gai in having almost any woman they want…. Well, at least Choji. Who knows what Shino is EVER thinking? Torune is easier to read, and he covers more of his face than Shino!"

"I think that seeing Lee with two women hanging off of him, including a Kunoichi from a different village, might have had something to do with it. Although you also technically have two women hanging off of you." She teased.

To which Naruto responded with all the dignity he had at his disposal. He blushed and turned his head away. "I am still sorry it took so long for me to understand."

"Oh, don't blame yourself. You were a socially inept kid, of which the closest thing to a father figure you have is Shimura freaking Danzo. I am surprised that I got you to look at me as a girl before you turned sixteen, and that you went running to Iruka, Anko or Kurenai about your hormones."

Naruto stared deep into Hinata's eyes. "I always saw you as the most amazing girl ever. You not only talked to me, you stood by me in everything since we were both young. You are the absolute strongest kunoichi in the world, and the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I simply felt that I didn't deserve you, so I always tried to keep things as they were. I was scared of losing what I had. But… I… You were too important. As scared as I was to lose you, I knew I would regret not being closer to you, not being more important to you." He took a deep breath, "I have always wanted to be Hokage, even now, it is still my goal, if albeit for different reasons now. But, I would give it up if it meant not being with you. I love you too much."

Hinata was thankful that her tear ducts were repaired along with the addition of her new eye, as her tears of joy fell. And she would forever be in Danzo's debt, simply for being able to record her fiance's face as he confessed his love for her. She was never happier to have lost her Byakugan and had it replaced with a Sharingan as she was at that moment. The amount of warmth and love visible on every millimeter of his face was breathtaking. As such, she reached up from her place on his lap, and kissed him. Trying to impart all her love, faith, desire, admiration, and reverence. Trying to make him understand with that one kiss, what she couldn't with words.

Sai and Oda, who were the assigned guards of each of them that day, merely exchanged a look, before Sai quickly drew a few mice with letters on their back. "Looks like both Fu's were right. There goes my money."

-H-

Danzo was pleased, he had just managed to get some very juicy information about Akatsuki from Kabuto. Although it was sad that he being one of the 'moles' of Sasori's meant that they couldn't just kill him. Disappointing.

Still, other than that, and Danzo made sure to use ALL of his worst-case scenario Juinjutsu on Kabuto, to make sure he didn't remain a problem, the situation was very good. Why, Danzo might even be HAPPY with how everything was going.

And to think, most of the situation was thanks to his greatest successes, and protégés, planning. Danzo may have helped them, but it was their plan that had brought about this situation. Konoha may know him as 'That Old Warhawk', and Danzo most assuredly understands that he tends to go for the throat in the political arena, in hopes of destroying Konoha's enemies completely, but Danzo is not known as Konoha's darkness, without knowing about subtlety and when to pull back instead of pushing.

That being said, he will admit, if only to himself, that he had never truly appreciated what having a good public face meant for the enrichment of Konoha. Thanks to people like Naruto and Hiruzen, people like himself could work with abandon, knowing that even if caught, their targets would rather believe that Konoha was being framed, than Konoha ACTUALLY doing something nefarious.

And Naruto was no naïve idealistic fool like Hiruzen. He USED and CULTIVATED the image on purpose, same as Hinata did. Both capable of equally playing the roles of Hiruzen and himself. Alone, each one would have _eventually_ become a powerful figure in the shinobi world... or die. Together, without intervention, they would have helped each other grow slowly, inspiring and pushing each other from their peripherals to be the best, eventually reaching the top, despite all those who pushed them down with harsh words or actions, or false teachings and information. With Danzo's intervention, they were taught what they needed from the start, trained by the best, and since they were together, they pushed each other far beyond their limits, soaking up the info, and rising beyond Danzo's greatest expectations. It was thanks to those two, that Danzo never even bothered with the 'Last' Uchiha, allowing Hiruzen to do what he felt was best.

Why would he care? Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi themselves did not compare to the duo he had been raising in secret. Now, they were showing themselves to the world, ready to take it on completely, from the light and the shadows. Together.

Danzo would never retire. He knew he would die either on the field, or behind his desk listening to reports, or giving orders. That being said, he had trained Konoha's next protectors, his successors, and they have proven themselves over and over. They didn't even need him or ROOT anymore. He was certain that if he and ROOT disappeared today, they would still manage to succeed in their goals of making Konoha stronger after crushing the Invasion and killing Orochimaru.

He wouldn't do that though, he would play his part, as would they. Once the invasion was over though, he would make the transfer official. Already ROOT knew that should he not be available, whether due to battle, distance, or worse. They should go to Hinata and Naruto for their orders, with Fu and Torune as their advisors, and if available, Shisui's eye should go to Hinata in replacement of her current one. After the invasion, he would gather everyone, even Mitarashi as she had proven herself firmly on their side. He would relinquish full control of ROOT, minus Fu and Torune who would remain his personal guards unless requested for specific missions, to Hinata, with himself, and Naruto as her advisors.

He would continue to aid them in the political arena with Shisui's eye and his own manipulations. But he would take a back seat unless needed in regards to the fieldwork, recruitment, and maintenance of ROOT. Keep everyone's eyes far away from the truth.

A small smirk came upon Danzo's scarred and aged visage. If this invasion would be his last appearance as a true Shinobi on the field, then he needed to make it grand. He would send a Shadow Clone to the meetings that he needed to visit. He himself would be training a bit, see about getting ready for the last planned fight he would partake in.

-H-

"Yosh! You are all burning brightly with the Flames of Youth!"

"""YOSH!"""

Everyone turned in horror at the loud group running past carrying boulders on their shoulders. Everyone was used to Gai and his Mini-me. And even the tomboyish bun-girl.

Watching the large procession consisting of the famous Gate Guards, Academy professor, a Suna Team, Sound Kunoichi, Aburame, Yamanaka, Hyuuga and Akamichi heirs, and even the recently famed Hinata and Naruto? Needless to say, Gai's little posse was leaving crashed and burned CPUs across Konoha, as civilians lost touch with reality. The ninja they passed were much more accepting, many having tried to take part in the arduous training that Konoha's Marvelous Green Beast put them through.

The male half scoffed in derisen, trying to make them out to be desperate for women, or pathetic. The female half took note of them, already marking their targets. It helps that all of them were already desirables. That included Ino, Shino, and Choji. And although completely new to Konoha, by sticking with the newly accepted Sexual Idols of Gai and Lee (Although Lee seemed to be completely taken now that Tenten had found a permanent partner in Kin.), the Suna Team and Sound Kunoichi were instantly accepted by Konoha's forces.

Anyone who could stick it out with their Youthfulness, were worth respect. Anyone Maito Gai accepted into his group was accepted as allies and good people. Just with them showing themselves daily with Gai had already integrated those four as Konoha's allies. More than the Leaf headbands that they would wear during the invasion, these days leading up to it are what would cause the Leaf Shinobi to stand by their side and assist or protect them.

As for those actually in the group, outside of the usuals. Izumo and Kotetsu were pushing themselves to better protect the village they love. Being friends with Naruto, one of the few who accepted him since the beginning, even if unable to meet with him as often thanks to their position, they knew how strong he really was. That very Naruto had seemed nervous when he told them that they might want to train a bit. So they asked for a vacation of three and a half weeks, and joined Maito Gai in his training. The man who helped Naruto and Hinata become who they were.

Iruka was there for similar reasons, although his was because he couldn't let himself be so weak when his little brother figure had surpassed him so much. Iruka wanted to protect those precious to him. He couldn't do that while weak.

Shino and Choji were there because their parents had sent them to train with Gai. One understood the logic of it, the other was being threatened.

Kankuro wanted to die. Temari and Gaara agreed, although they found his suffering amusing enough to beat their own suffering. All three finally admitted that the Flames of Youth were far more terrifying than Shukaku's ramblings and prissy moments. Temari also had a view into why Naruto and Hinata were as strong as they were… as well why they were as… adjusted as they were. Gaara was just happy to have friends. Thanks to Naruto and his team, he was now friends with his sister, almost there with his brother, and was accepted by all of Naruto's friends. The Ichirakus, Gai, Lee, Tenten, Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu were already practically friends.

So yeah, it hurt to train with them, but not only was it worth it to make the connections he had always wanted. They helped him train. Helped him get stronger, which he had never realized he could do. So the pros far outweighed the cons.

Kin had a rather single-minded determination. She was weak. The weakest of all those in the finals. She needed to get stronger to survive what was coming. To survive the consequences of her actions. It also helped that Lee was a truly sweet guy, and a hell of a romantic. And that brought the other half of the equation. Even though it seemed that she had taken the final permanent portion of the equation when it came to Lee and Tenten's needed love triangle, she was not a match for either of them, and probably not a match for most of the temporary partners that Tenten dragged along prior to her appearance, to assist her in silencing Konoha's Second Green Beast. So she needed this. Badly. Because she WANTED to remain with the duo, and for that, she needed to continue doing this, and maybe even further, because neither of them were sleeping while she trained. A small smile appeared on her face, _'It will be completely worth it.'_

Sakura could not let herself fall behind Ino, and the sound kunoichi who shamed her. As well as wanting to help Choji who had been her only friend since graduation.

-H-

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha was in a pickle.

He had just finished meeting with Jiraiya. The third such meeting in the week. It all revolved around a little ball of Sunshine, known as Naruto.

They were stumped. Truly stumped.

You see Hiruzen had known that Naruto was having difficulty in the Academy, both due to having teachers working against him, as well as the courses not being set up for someone with more Chakra than even the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama. And Hiruzen could do nothing about it thanks to the Academy being under the civilian council. His hands were tied.

He hoped and believed that Naruto would win over his teachers eventually, and with his perseverance, eventually pass. And he did, despite all the opposition, Naruto remained firmly in the center of the class, but still failed due to the Ninjutsu portion requiring the standard Bunshin. He passed at the end, although it was only due to a traitor and his ridiculous luck.

So here we reach the reason for their shared confusion between former teacher and student. Naruto should have been average at best, even with Anko as his teacher, yet he and teammates had dominated the exams. They broke the record for the Second portion of Chunin Exams that was initially set by Uchiha Itachi, by a full day. Leaving it at a point that he doubted it would ever be broken again. Even if Suna's ringer team nearly met it.

Naruto and Hinata completely humiliated and destroyed their opponents without ANY visible effort. The psychological beat down was a clear sign that Anko had been training them personally though. They had befriended the Suna team, which Jiraiya had told him had an unstable Jinchuriki, who did not look unstable in the least, especially if the reports of him joining Maito Gai's training sessions were true.

Then while the issue with the Main House Hyuuga was being dealt with, Naruto, Hinata, and two other 'helpers', go and remove a seal, which was supposed to be impossible to remove. Seeing as how it had been created in a purposely unstable way to disabuse anyone but the very best from touching it. Even Jiraiya had quit the challenge, without having a dedicated Hyuuga with them to study at all times. Yet two rookie Genins had apparently found a way to safely remove it.

At first Hiruzen was worried that they were imposters, and sent ANBU to observe them… but it was proven otherwise. So he had analysts go over both their histories in detail, and what they found should have been obvious and red flagged for anyone.

Both Naruto and Hinata had ALWAYS been at the middle of the class. When ALL the other ranks shifted in the competition between each other, those two remained FIXED to their ranks. Clearly it had been done on purpose. So, the questions were, how strong where they truly? How did they get so strong? Why did they hide it? What were their goals?

Hiruzen suspected Danzo immediately. Especially when Jiraiya confirmed that ROOT was still active in the shadows. But a conversation where Danzo admitted to him, that he had been right when he had denied the Jinchuriki being handed over, had him convinced that it wasn't Danzo. After all, Danzo would not have congratulated Hiruzen on his plan to make Konoha stronger by dealing with the Hyuuga by making Naruto and Hinata so strong in secret, until the trap was sprung, unless he really wasn't a part of it. Although that conversation also answered the last question.

They wanted to cure Konoha of its problems. Hiruzen was feeling a bit down that they had used such a violent and drastic measure… but even he had to agree that any other way was certain to fail. The fact that their plan had succeeded so magnificently also helped his opinion in their regard. The fact that Hinata was willing to sacrifice so much for it, showed him that despite the lack of answers, they were honestly loyal to Konoha, meant that to him at least, the remaining questions were mere curiosity, not a necessity.

Sadly, Jiraiya was a bit more skeptic about the situation. He understood, that as the son to both Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, Naruto was going to have an advantage in Fuinjutsu. An advantage, and the ability to accomplish what he couldn't at his current level, before the boy made it to fifteen though? That was completely different.

He already felt that he had failed the boy for not having been there for him as he grew up. But he had plenty of excuses. He was needed for Konoha's spy network. Without him out there, Iwa or Akatsuki may have already attacked him. If he had taken him, it would have cast suspicions on Naruto. Etcetera, etcetera.

The truth? Jiraiya was scared. Like Tsunade had two decades ago, Jiraiya decided to run from the situation. He couldn't bring himself to be with the child of two of his favorite people. A kid who looked just like his student, and acted just like his student's wife. It had taken a long time, but Jiraiya managed to finally push himself into meeting his godson, and even training him when he failed in the Chunin exams.

Instead, Naruto won. And he didn't win by the skin of his teeth like expected, if at all. Naruto DOMINATED the exam. Despite his odds being the lowest among the civilian bookkeepers, no Ninja with half a brain bet on the Uchiha who was the favorite to win besides the Kazekage's son. No, everyone who had been there, or watched the fights, understood that the winner of the tournament would be between Gaara, Hinata or Naruto. Depending on how the tournament selection went, Lee was also a possible contender.

So Jiraiya was at a loss. He had read Sarutobi-sensei's reports on his godson, and he should NOT have been that good. He feared the worst, that the Kyuubi was influencing him, if not in full control. He feared that Danzo HAD in fact taken control of him. But like the Sandaime, he doubted it. Danzo would have left Naruto an empty tool. And the Kyuubi would NOT have settled for mere pranks.

Jiraiya had learned that both Naruto and Hinata were Gai's initial students, and had been the reason the man signed up to be a Jonin-sensei. So that explained their physique and taijutsu knowledge. But not about their Fuinjutsu mastery, nor Hinata and Naruto's apparent mastery of the Futon element. He might have said Anko, if the two were the greatest of prodigies, but Anko was forbidden by the council to touch or learn any Fuinjutsu beyond sealing scrolls and explosive tags. Nor was Anko all that knowledgeable on elemental chakra's outside of her use of Katon and Doton.

Heck, even Asuma and Danzo's grasp of Futon was not as good as Naruto's appeared to be! Which just, once again, raised more questions than answers.

Finally bucking down, he had headed to ask Anko about Naruto.

Imagine his shock when he finds that the reason that she even decided to take up the mantel of Jonin-sensei, was because the duo had saved her from a quad of Chunin to Tokubetsu Jonin ninja. When they were eleven. She confirmed that she made it to Jonin because of training and sparring with them and Gai.

She, Mitarashi Anko, the Snake Mistress of Konoha, Second in command of the Torture and Interogations ninja, admitted that THEY were the teachers in the team when it came to being ninja. That in a FULL OUT ONE ON ONE FIGHT, she had NEVER beaten either of them.

Jiraiya had been desperate enough to make certain that his godson was safe, that he had wanted to sneak into his apartment and check the seal. After a HELL of a lot of trouble breaking through the Fuinjutsu wards he had covered his apartment in. He found that Naruto did not live in his apartment. No, instead, he found a pair of Shadow Clones in the apartment, one of Hinata, and one of Naruto, both having an enjoyable talk while reading a couple of books (Advanced Iryo-ninjutsu and Combat Iryo-ninjutsu. _'And how the hell was the ex-Hyuuga reading without eyes?'_ ) while gripping deadman switches.

"I wouldn't move if I were you Jiraiya. These switches are tied to the custom explosive notes that Naruto developed for directed demolition, and inserted into every square inch in-between the walls of the entire building. That is more than one thousand explosive tags that will focus all of their enhanced power inwards and upwards. Even if you were in Sage Mode, you would not make it."

Jiraiya stiffened immediately. If they were regular Genin, he might have been able to grab both switches before either could react. Even some Chunins. They were not. By the admission of two high-ranked Jonin, the two before him were possibly as strong as he was out of Sage Mode. Their knowledge of him and his technique made the situation worse.

"You would kill the apartments residents?"

Naruto laughed out loud while Hinata merely giggled. "Please Ero-sennin. No one would willingly live near that 'damned demon brat', near 'that monster'." Jiraiya paled a bit with each title he revealed, when Naruto's eyes hardened and glinted, he suspected the worst. "No one would live near the 'Reborn Kyuubi'." His gut was right.

"Who told you that? They are wrong. You are none of those!"

He was surprised when they both just laughed this time. "That is obvious Jiraiya. The Kyuubi was merely sealed into Naruto when he was born by his father."

Jiraiya immediately forgot the situation he was in and tried to rush her.

Tried being the operative word, as he found himself sprawled on the ground instead of grabbing the girl who had knowledge she should not be privileged to by the neck.

"Dammit Ero-sennin. You should be happy that Hinata decided to incapacitate you instead of dispelling and blowing you and the apartment to their base atoms. What were you trying to do? Threaten a Shadow Clone? Pft. I think you have spent too long writing those trashy porn books instead of your job Godfather."

Jiraiya didn't think the situation could get worse. "How?"

"Learning about the Kyuubi was easy. With me walking a set distance behind Naruto, I could hear the whispers properly. What with them all mentioning 'demon' and 'monster', plus comments about losing loved ones to 'it'? Add that to the severe beatings he received during his birthday? It was easy to figure out that the townspeople thought Naruto to be the Kyuubi. My eyes, or rather, my old eyes, saw the seal on him, and the different and strange chakra held behind it. A tad bit of research, and voila. Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi."

"After that, I merely contacted the Kyuubi, to find out why he attacked Konoha, build up rapport with him through the years. Swap stories, and voila. Find out I am the third Jinchuriki, with my mother, Uzumaki Kushina being the previous one. More research, and we find that she was never known to be in a relationship with anyone, except one person. Namikaze Minato. Who looks EXACTLY like me, minus the whisker marks, which could be explained by my being affected by the Kyuubi's chakra while in my mother. Knowing that the Yondaime would never allow another's child to be sacrificed, it made sense. You being my godfather though? That was mostly a guess which we baited you into. Now tell me godfather, I might have some ideas as to why, but I want you to tell me why you weren't there for me when the orphanage decided to kick me out into the street, or when the civilians decided to kick me out of their stores, or overcharge me for their expired products, when they decided that their loved ones deserved peace, and the only way to do that was to beat me. To drag knives and kunai through my flesh. To pin me to a wall, and left to starve until Hinata managed to escape from the Hyuuga compound and remove me from the wall, to the curses and threats from those who enjoyed watching me die slowly. Tell me godfather, why you let your godson nearly attempt suicide? Why you let him and his only friend continuously endanger themselves while trying to survive against the people whose lives were retained, solely on the sacrifice of my parents, and my will?... Well? We both have enough Chakra to stay 'alive' for all night and day, plenty of time for us to catch up, no?"

-H-

"Please join me in welcoming our newest Clan Head, Hyuuga Hanabi!"

The gathered population all started clapping and shouting their approval, which included the entire Hyuuga clan (minus those who were helping in guarding Konoha or keeping Ibiki and Anko occupied.). It had not been easy, but thanks to the idolatrous view that the Hyuuga held Hinata in, plus Danzo and Naruto's manipulations, Hanabi had been pushed forth as the new Clan Head, despite her age. With Hinata as an advisor, when available, as well as the new Elder Council, supporting her, Hanabi would be a great leader, and would not be swamped from becoming an amazing Kunoichi like her big sister.

On that note, one of the Hyuuga had found the storage of eyes in stasis, including her own, and Hanabi immediately offered them back to Hinata. As Danzo had promised, one eye was too damaged, and Hinata staunchly refused using the others, so she now sported her original left eye. She still kept them both covered, refusing to give others the advantage. And was training to use both eyes at the same time while active, along with her chakra strings. She already had practice using both sensors prior to the removal of her Byakugan. Danzo had long had a way of escaping and hiding from the Byakugan, so it was a necessity. Her added Sharingan though, made things quite difficult. Having three different sets of 'eyes' confused her, especially since both eyes could 'see' her special chakra strings, which effectively blinded her without practice. Particularly with her Sharingan. Still, she was working on the solution, while also testing the new eye's abilities. It happened to be one of the many Mangekyo eye. And like all successful Mangekyo's, it had its own special ability. Itachi had Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, Shisui had Kotoamatsukami, and Kakashi had Kamui. Hinata's new eye's ability was unknown. Since Danzo didn't give out Mangekyo eyes, this one had never been tested, nor had its original owner have wrote it down. Danzo believed that it had only developed into the Mangekyo on the night of the massacre.

As such, Hinata was testing it from scratch. They had at least confirmed that it did NOT have Kotoamatsukami, nor Tsukuyomi. Having no idea how Amaterasu or Kamui were initiated, she had no way of testing them. However, by going through the list of known Mangekyo eyes one by one, she was getting used to how her eye worked to different situations and stimulus. Based on the list of different abilities, they were all certain that each Mangekyo had its own unique ability, based on the Uchiha in question, so Hinata would probably have to find out her new ability by herself and record it into the list.

She smirked. The idea that an ex-Hyuuga would be adding a new technique to the Uchiha list. She bet most of them were turning in their graves, and that made her happy. So far, she honestly felt that there were only one, maybe two good Uchiha over the years. Still, their eyes were certainly useful. Already, her next goal was finding a way to get the DNA from the eyes and find a way to implement them into people, to create a new Uchiha lineage. Preferably under a different name. Like Uzumaki or Namikaze.

After that, she was going to work on combining the Byakugan with the Sharingan into one eye. But that is for the further future. One goal at a time.

The immediate goal was learning how to use the 'normal' Sharingan, as well as thinking of ways to implement the Rasengan into her techniques.

Naruto and she had certainly been surprised when their 'home' clones had popped, delivering their memories. Here they were, expecting information on Iryo-nin techniques. Instead they found that they had bullied Jiraiya practically into submission with guilt, and forced him to assist them towards their goals. As a political ally, spy master, as well as teacher. Jiraiya was still shocked that she and Naruto managed to learn the Rasengan within one week. Jiraiya was a crap teacher, but thanks to Hinata's, hidden, recovered Byakugan, she was easily able to give better directions to Naruto. It still took a bit for Naruto to managed it on both hands, and he was still unable to use it on both hands simultaneously, but he was working on that. Hinata, being used to extreme multi-tasking thanks to her eyes, chakra strings, and whatnot, plus her near perfect chakra control, below only Tsunade of the Sannin and Sakura (whose chakra levels were miniscule anyway, making the advantage pointless) managed to master it, now they both had Kage Bunshin working on adding an element to it. Hinata was attempting to add Raiton and Suiton. Naruto attempted to add Futon and Katon.

Hinata will never have Naruto's chakra capacity; she didn't believe ANYONE would ever have his reserves. That being said, by her graduation, not one person in that building, barring Naruto, matched her chakra reserves.

Including the Sandaime who had come to congratulate them all.

So using such a chakra intensive training method was perfectly acceptable to her. That, and the fatality rate of the Shadow Clones testing the elemental Rasengans was near 100%, so there was NO way she was doing it any other way.

Naruto concurred.

Either way, there was only five days left till the Chunin Exams Finals, as well as the Oto invasion, and they were about as ready as they could be. Everything they were doing now was mere refining of their plans, as well as seeing if they could get a few extra advantages.

Jiraiya had felt incredibly sad that Naruto would not take the Toad contract, since he already had his own, as did Hinata. And boy was Jiraiya shocked when they showed him their summons, what with both being the first summoners of their contracts. The Badgers and Lions, respectively. The fact that both could use limited amounts of Nature chakra, in a predecessor to Sage mode (Thanks to their bodies still being too young for the true version), nearly destroyed what little remained of Jiraiya's sanity.

That both could use it WITHOUT their summons assistance like he needed, pretty much had Jiraiya throwing his hands up in resignation, and just deciding to accept anything they said at face value. Including that both were friends with Kurama, the freaking Biju known for his hatred and rage.

He did however try to get the Badgers and Lions to join the alliance currently held between the Monkeys, Toads, and Slugs. He didn't think it would work, but the two prodigies HAD managed to get their own summons talking and working together, so it WAS possible.

Oh, that and them having dragged him out of Konoha for a bit over two weeks, dragging Tsunade and Shizune back, and having them take over the hospital and all Iryo-nins training and revaluation. With the full knowledge that they had FULL control over the programs and facilities, and near limitless backing (thanks to Naruto and Hinata's constant trips to gambling dens and owned properties all over the Elemental Nations. Plus ROOTS successful bounty hunting, and Danzo's maneuvering in the council for funds and support.), Tsunade was already making huge waves in there. It hadn't even been a day, and things were looking VERY promising. Keeping that info from Orochimaru, who was impersonating the Kazekage was kinda hard, but they had managed so far.

Having given that information to Jiraiya and the Sandaime had them prepared to take on the Snake-like Pedophile. While Naruto, Hinata and Danzo had everything else ready. With Danzo's help, they had even managed to get Baki and his team over to Suna's invasion force, and convince them of the situation. Danzo's ROOT having found the REAL Kazekage's body, and leading Lady Chiyo to it, helped a lot in those discussions. So now, Konoha didn't even have to worry about Suna, since they would be openly aiding them from the beginning.

So for now, they just had to make a big show in the Finals, allow Gaara to face Sasuke near the end, which would have Orochimaru start the invasion, only Kabuto would be casting the Genjutsu on the OTO nin as well as the civilians, instead of the civilians and Konoha nin.


	3. Twilight - Project X Prologue

**A/N:** As I stated in my last chapter, all ANs, unless stated as I am doing here, are the olds ones I wrote initially with the story when the muse hit, more than likely years ago. This particular idea for example I wrote back in 2013. So if something in them seems off or odd, just consider I wrote it before I even contemplated writing for real. Before **Second Life** was even an idea, much less something I put hundreds of hours into writing before posting. Hell, I think I wrote this particular Twilight story before I created a FFN account.

So yeah, heads up on that. Most of the stories that I will post on this will be old, unedited, and I probably wrote them over several sessions that spanned days, if not weeks. Leaving them **FULL** of plot holes, sentences that counter what was written not a paragraph prior, a cat where a dog used to be earlier. ETCETERA.

 **EVERYTHING** that I post here is up for adoption, without even having to ask me. I do however ask that you be kind enough to send me a PM telling me you are, so that I can lead others to your story, and so that I may enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Sincerely,

 ** _CG_**

* * *

 **A/N:** …A Twilight story. [Which I will admit, until the likes of **Mya Uzo** , I had absolutely REFUSED to read. (The fanfics, I actually read the books for reasons I will explain below.)]

One where Bella, is completely OOC, because I REALLY don't like Bella's character in the book series.

Literally EVERYONE else, I can accept. Even the creepy stalker bishie. Even if they disgust me, their characters make sense… Bella's does not. At all. Like, ever.

So yeah. OOC BELLA!

This story of mine, is inspired by Mya's own Twilight RPG Story. Which is AWESOME, like so many of her/his stories. Check it out, it takes the ACTUAL Bella, and makes her GROW THE F*CK UP, and become a likeable character, in a mostly realistic way.

If Bella had continued (un?)living for a hundred years, died, and found out her life was a game that made her restart from the moment she entered the Forks.

So yeah, MOSTLY, realistic way. XD

Mine (This one at least), I am afraid, has no gamer aspects sadly. It will however, hopefully, be just as ridiculously awesome, if my prologue and the fact that the genre is under humor/parody doesn't tip that off, I don't know what will.

ANYWAY! That out of the way, this story has a preset pairing, which I will keep secret for now, even if it really isn't all the hard to guess based on my personality and how the story will progress, but whatever.

(For those of you who cried out in anguish and despair. NO! IT IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT EDWARD! FUCK THAT CREEPY SPARKLY STALKER BISHIE! Nor is it Jacob for that matter. Nothing against the guy, as he is a fairly likeable character, [if you take his age, upbringing and sudden encounter with the supernatural into account, you can see that he is a properly fleshed out character] in a shitty world with shitty family, feuds, enemies and friends. However, this particular story will not have him as the pairing with Bella.)

* * *

We find ourselves looking at a scene far too common for my tastes.

Although, to be fair, this one is better than most I have run across lately.

A previously happy couple married and with a young daughter, separated. The mother is getting ready to leave with her daughter, while the father remains behind in a house that is suddenly too big and cold.

Under normal circumstances, the mother's influence imparted upon their daughter, the absolute reliance on having a sexy and rich male to be properly happy, would lead the girl to grow up to be a vapid teenager with the NEED to be with a creepy, one hundred-ish year old immortal with skin of granite, a bi-polar disorder that would have her wanting to commit suicide more than once, and a need to be mysterious and 'bad-boyish' for no explainable reason behind him being a giant douche with an ego the size of Russia.

Thankfully, for this iteration of Isabella 'Bella' Swan, and ourselves, I will be intervening and making sure that NEVER HAPPENS.

For all of you readers, don't worry, this will be my sole appearance. After this, it will be written in first person narrative, from Bella's point of view, and then will switch to CG's more standard third person narrative. CG just needed a reason to change Bella, and I, the great Deadpool came to mind, and I can only speak in first person, because otherwise I would sound stupid. I mean, who speaks in third person?

For the record, this is NOT a crossover with myself, although my influence will be seen, I just happened to be in this section of fanfiction for whatever reason, and decided to help out a poor soul since I am just that kind of guy.

In no way was I bribed with tacos. Although I will admit that CG makes pretty good tacos.

ANYWAY! I stealthily made my way to the area holding the little girl's trunks, where she had stashed her future favorite book, given to her by her mother, 'Romero and Julietta', or something like that. Just know it was about a pair of feuding Mexican mafia families and there was a bunch of tragic deaths or whatnot. Well, I took the still wrapped up piece of trash, and I replaced it with my own personal work, the complete first edition collection of 'How to be as awesome as Deadpool (Which is impossible, but that shouldn't stop you from trying)', signed by God A.K.A. Me, and with a goodie bag for my first customer and fan in this universe filled with pussy sparkly vampires.

With that, I have to go. Toodaloo~~

* * *

As I watched as mom helped bring my heavier bags and trunks into the room that she had assigned me in our new apartment, I knew nothing would be the same again. I hadn't really wanted to leave dad… but I wasn't asked. Mom had asked dad for custody of me, and he relented, believing that she would be the better parent, as he had a dangerous job with odd hours.

So before I could properly say goodbye, a few days after my birthday, all my stuff, even the things I hadn't bothered to open, were packed and I was in a car heading to my new home with mom.

"Start unpacking dear, we will head out for some food tonight since we don't have anything to cook." Oh yeah, dad couldn't cook to save his life, so that would also have been a problem if I was with him. Constant delivery, take-out, and visits to the local diner.

"Ok mom." With that, she gave me a smile, and left to get started on her own room, so that she could at least sleep in peace tonight and be ready for tomorrow.

I walked over to the bag that held my clothes and got started. Since dad had packed them with the hangers, it was easy for me to put most of my clothes away. Then I got my sheets and quilt for my bed. With that done. I had no real priority, so I decided that I might as well get started on those gifts I never managed to open thanks to mom's revelation that day.

At least dad didn't think it was a brilliant idea to tell your daughter on her birthday that her parents were officially divorced and she would be taken away from one of them for the foreseeable future.

I reached up and grabbed the first package, one I didn't QUITE recall. It was a large rectangular package with red wrapping paper covered with weird faces, it looked like someone got lazy and just two black circles inside a single big one, and put white dots inside the smaller pair. I didn't recognize it, if it had bin pink with hearts it would be signifying it was from mom. Dad went for more rustic designs, and colors.

When I tried to lift it, I found that it was rather heavier than I expected. I lugged it over to the bed, before proceeding to open it slowly, taking my time with the wrapping paper.

I swear that I had a look of confusion on my face as I read the title on the blood red and black book, 'How to be as awesome as Deadpool.' By Wade Wilson, A.K.A. Deadpool. Curiosity alone made me open the book beyond that.

As the pure unadulterated awesomeness erupting from its holy pages swept over me, I knew nothing would be the same again.

* * *

Renee Dwyer walked away from her new room, sporting a new outfit. Sure, she wasn't PLANNING on looking for anyone tonight, but a woman must always look good when going out, or she might just miss that single most important opportunity.

For now, however, she was heading out with her daughter to a ladies' night out, for a good meal to celebrate their new home.

She found her daughter, Isabella, on her bed, a large book in her hands, with most of her boxes still packed.

"Bella. I know there isn't a rush, but you can't procrastinate and leave everything unpacked like this. What have you gotten through so far."

She saw Bella look up from her book, an odd light in her eyes. "I did go through almost everything mother, the only things left are mostly odds and ends I don't really want decorating my room."

"Really? Then I can just open any box and find it empty?" Bella nodded in response. "Really? I really will throw all these out if you keep that up, and then what will you do?"

Bella merely raised a single eyebrow dramatically, which confused her mother, as she didn't know she could do that, "I would recommend you recycle the cardboard boxes rather than throw them away, and the few things I have not unpacked, that I don't PLAN to unpack, I would say to give to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Honestly though, I am not being lazy, look through them, I have unpacked most of the things."

Renee gave her that 'I don't believe you' look, before proceeding to open the nearest box, and finding it empty, along with the next three boxes. "Well then. I stand corrected. Well then dear, since you were telling the truth and seemed to have worked hard, where do you want to go for dinner?"

This time, Renee almost swore she saw a light shine in her eyes as she got a mischievous look to her features. "Chimichangas."

* * *

 **A/N:** Before anyone asks. Yes. Yes, I did just do that.

Anyway, she will NOT be a female Deadpool. She will still be human, without an increased regeneration rate that makes her immortal for all intents and purposes. She will merely act SIMILAR to Deadpool. Like a fan imitating their favorite superhero, there will be similarities, but never be the same.

However, she will not just be a wise-cracking mercenary insane jackass human who will get her throat ripped out by a pissed off Edward who had his ego bruised. Where would the fun in that be? I will not spoil anything about her here though. XD


	4. Twilight - Project X Chapter 1

**A/N:** Time for chapter two of this crackpot fic that I somehow put to paper!

This will be the effective beginning of the 'cannon' Twilight books, with a most definitely NON-Cannon Bella. So yes, there is about eight years that I 'skipped', where A LOT happened to and around Bella. Events from said period will come up during the series, although there will rarely be flashbacks, usually it will be more of a noodle incident… MANY noodle incidents.

As Deadpool stated, this story will be in third person narrative, as opposed to his usual first person narrative. Bella however, has been granted the ability to break the fourth wall, and has her own textboxes… she will be the only one to be able to see them, unless Deadpool or certain members his family show up, or Dr Strange… Noodle incident!

WE BEGIN! (Before I give up more info than I meant to.)

* * *

Charlie was having mixed emotions.

On one hand, his baby girl was moving back in with him.

On the other hand, she wasn't his baby girl anymore…

He of course, had talked with her occasionally over the years, and he felt that there was something different about her immediately after the separation. He judged that it was normal, since she had lost a parent that day, and despite seeing all the delinquents and the like that came out of such situations, his daughter seemed to have continued on normally.

Then his wife started calling about Bella's weird if kind friends and he was forced to get a quick vacation to check on them and her. Weird most definitely qualified for the costumed men and women that his little girl had befriended, but Charlie had come to accept that aside from their eccentricities in respect to their wardrobe, they were all thoroughly decent and likeable people. Plus, his daughter had assured him that she would not wear a costume. Although her reasoning that since she was a normal human without Batman's wealth or mind, she couldn't possibly survive putting it on for any decent length of time, left him quite baffled, and decided that it was just a phase that young teenagers went through.

Now, due to Renee and Phil apparently needing their alone time, according to Bella, his daughter was moving in with him.

Bright side, she kept her promise and wasn't wearing a costume like her old friends.

He wasn't sure the black leather pants and jacket lined with Kevlar and metal plates sewed in strategic areas, along with a maroon shirt shouting that 'Doorknobs don't kill people, I kill people' was a better solution. At least she had sensible boots on for getting around the Forks and La Push, although he could do without the visible combat knives in each of them. When he asked her about them and her choice in 'fashion', she wisely responded with "Daddy, how could you possibly think that a lady like myself would go anywhere without a means to adequately defend and protect myself?"

Charlie couldn't argue with that. He instead asked if she wanted a Taser and pepper spray. She responded by pulling out formaldehyde and a tranquilizer gun.

Charlie didn't ask. He just nodded his head and got into the car, starting the drive back home.

Bella was glad Charlie didn't ask further and forced her to reveal her ACTUAL doorknobs. She had decided to always speak the truth as her own unique perk to contrast Deadpool's mouth. That and telling the truth all the time was a good idea for her, since the Yautja of the Justice Clan had decided to induct her into their clan, purely to keep an eye on her constantly, and to make it easy for them to decide her Rogue if she slips up.

She had quite enjoyed screwing with people like Deadpool before, but had NO intention of having an alien warrior race hunting her for the rest of her probably short life.

So now, she told naught but the truth, not that always speaking the truth meant that those who listened heard the truth or the full truth. Still, telling the truth while avoiding the truth was fun, particularly those with good instincts and a good nature, since they felt and understood she was being truthful to them, so they accepted what she said at face value.

Although those with TOO good instincts, like that Italian-Japanese Mafia boss, caught that they weren't getting everything and then became untrustworthy to the EXTREME!

Darn flaming boxers. Apparently, 'You didn't ask' or any variation of that doesn't work quite well with those kinds of people sadly.

Well, suspicious aliens, mafia, and alien mafia aside, it was time for Isabella 'Bella' Swan to get started on the main topic of her life, according to Stephanie Meyer. Moving to the Forks to meet a clan of pasty white, sparkly vampires with golden eyes and rock hard abs. Literally, if not visibly for all but one.

As well as the shapeshifters with HOT, again literally, toned bodies, enhanced regeneration, and the ability to become Scooby Doo, or Hagrid's Fluffy after the surgical removal of two heads.

Bella was looking forward to finally starting the 'romance' portion of her life. After all, Deadpool himself had married a few women. So clearly, romance was not bad. Just romance to creepy old sparkly bloodsucking emo immortal stalkers, like the Volturi, or Edward Cullen.

Although Deadpool did constantly break NPH's comment of not sticking it in crazy…

Meh.

Thankfully, the Volturi were no longer a problem. She thanked the Yautja and their plasma guns for that, and the Volturi for stupidly converting and eating younglings. An event which she had most certainly NOT caused. It was merely a coincidence that the field trip she had dragged all of them and their caretakers to, happened to be the Volturi's home base. She could NOT have _known_ they were going to be THAT stupid and incite the Yautja of the Justice Clan to exterminate them.

Oh well.

As for Edward, well, he was never really a problem. If he were to push it, then she did have a plasma doorknob in her collection, which she always carried with her in case of rabid sparkly vampires, or Xenomorph Royals.

Cataloguing all the ways she would screw with her new home and neighbors, Bella and Charlie peacefully passed the trip to the Forks in silence.

* * *

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home." Charlie stated as he stepped out of the vehicle. As he reached into the back to grab Bella's bag, he found she was already pulling it away towards herself. Hefting all three bags with no apparent difficulty.

Charlie merely shrugged again. Sad that he couldn't help his little girl, and happy that she seemed capable and willing to take care of herself. The difficulties of fatherhood.

Then he saw Billy Black and Jacob drive over.

"Hey Charlie! And is that Bella?"

Bella turned around to her sorta childhood friend, who looked like a scrawny long-haired nerd with a fetish for cars, who she knew would become a tall rippling mass of steaming muscle, nerd with a fetish for cars.

"Jacob? Hey, been awhile shaggy."

"It's the hair, isn't it? I have been planning on cutting it, but Billy here has been adamant it is tradition."

"If I were to follow tradition to the letter, then I would probably be a vapid blond with a fixation on Romeo and Juliet like romances which would only lead to tragedy and death, and I would refuse to listen no matter how much everyone was to tell me otherwise when I decided that I had fallen in love with my soul mate, which would eventually lead to my untimely death. Instead, I plan to walk over and remove my two knives that are currently pinning your shoes to the ground."

Jacob looked down to find two stiletto knives digging firmly into the soles on the side of each of his sneakers. Sadly, for his dignity, he responded by jumping in shock. Or rather, trying to, as Bella had tossed those rather hard, as such, he merely lost his balance on fell on his face.

Bella was laughing at him the entire time as she went to pull her knives out, hiding them up her sleeves in a single swift maneuver. "So shaggy, what have you been up to?"

Jacob grumbled a bit as he rose, wiping his face of some of the dirt. "Cruel Bella. Cruel, and when and how did you get those there?"

"I threw them. Little Red Riding Hoods' have got to be able to defend themselves from big bad wolves after all." She ignored the slight twitch from Billy. "Anyway, last chance before I just head upstairs, since these bags do need unpacking. What's up?"

"Oh. Oh, well, I came over to check on your truck. Charlie asked me to fix it back up for you to have a ride around here."

With that Bella turned around to her apparently new, old Ford Truck. It wasn't on par with her usual rides, but unlike her usual rides, this one wasn't sto-'borrowed temporarily'. So that most definitely counted in its favor. Plus, the thing looked like it was built out of heavy, solid steel and could probably do more damage to people when hit than the other two vehicles present. Combined.

As such, she turned towards Charlie, and proceeded to hug him, around her three bags, of which only one had clothing, the other two filled with doorknobs and useful knick-knacks. "I love it, thank you daddy."

She froze at the snort behind her. "Daddy? You know I am goi-"

Whatever Jacob was going to say faded out as he slowly collapsed back into the truck and slid down, his head lolling to the side. Both Billy and Charlie turned as one from Jacob's unconscious body, to Bella who had one hand held out, pointing a tranquilizer gun towards Jacob, and then back to his body to find the dark grey dart sticking out of his chest. Right over where his heart would be. Then back to her.

She merely shrugged, quickly putting her only gun away, before heading to the house. "He shouldn't have tried to make fun of my calling dad, daddy. I am not going to change who I am to fit the image of the stereotypical teenager. Going around, crying 'Oh woe is me. I am so unpopular, while being stalked by many different men and/or women'. Charlie is my dad. So I will call him as such, if I want to call him daddy because it fits the mood, I will do so. Anyone who doesn't like it, either minds their own business. Or if I am lucky, will come and try to cause an issue with me about it. Then I get to have fun." She turned around to look at the two adults present. "I normally don't use the tranq gun when having fun. They don't remember the lesson as well." She turned back and opened the door. "Jacob is family though, so make sure to talk to him Billy. These darts aren't cheap."

As she faded inside, Charlie once again shrugged, although this time, there was a small smile of pride on his face. He would miss out on the whole, threaten the horn dogs with a shotgun and shovel that dads are supposed to do, thanks to her seeming to be able to do it herself, but it would just mean that he could focus more on the real scum out there to protect his baby girl better.

"Charlie… Jacob is my ride home…"

* * *

Bella had finished unpacking her clothes, and hiding her doorknobs strategically around her room, before Charlie knocked on her door, coming in at her call. "Bella dear. I need to drive Billy and Jacob home since neither of them are in the proper condition to drive. Could I ask you to drive behind us so that I can leave their truck there? It would also be a good opportunity to test out your own truck, and get a feel for her and the roads around here. We can stop at the diner on the way back for some dinner."

"Sure dad. Let me just get a few additional knick-knacks for just in case situations."

"In case of what?"

"Oh you know. Perverts, assholes who don't understand the word no, sparkly vampires, stalkers, furries, Rogue Yautja, Flaming Mafia, delinquents, any Wilson, Logan, Laura, etcetera, etcetera."

"I am glad to hear that you are properly prepared for any situation. Hey, do you think you would be interested in a career in law enforcement."

"Possible dad. I don't want to tie myself to a particular place yet, but I know that it is definitely an option. Think I can join you one day, check the place out and get a better view of the job?"

The smile on Charlie's face could only be brighter if she had offered to go fishing with him on the weekend. "I was going to ask if you wanted to start school tomorrow, or wait till Monday. If you wait till Monday, I can bring you over tomorrow and Saturday."

"Monday it is, gives me more time to settle in anyway. Well, I am ready, let's go."

"Just follow behind me as I guide you to La Push and Billy's house."

* * *

The drive to Billy and Jacob's place was rather uneventful all things considered. The fun happened when they actually arrived.

Bella was helping Billy off the back, while Charlie was throwing Jacob over his shoulder in a fireman carry, when a nicely tanned and relatively toned young woman walked out of the house. She quickly spotted the quartet, before focusing on the closest one.

"Hey Charlie, what's up with Jacob and who's that?"

"Hey Leah, my daughter shot Jacob with a tranquilizer gun for trying to mock her when she was thanking me for the truck, and that over there is my daughter Bella." Charlie said this in the same tone one uses to converse about the weather. Leah raised a delicate eyebrow at him before turning to Bella who had just finished helping Billy down.

"Hey Billy, mom sent me with some food for dinner. She didn't think you would eat right with Jacob in charge tonight… clearly she was more right than I thought."

"If I want to hug my dad and call him daddy when he gets me a car, then I can damn well do it. Shaggy was asking for it, and no one can convince me otherwise." Bella huffed out with something that looked suspiciously like a pout.

"No one is trying to convince you otherwise Bella. Partially because Charlie is probably happy you shot Jacob, partially because Jacob is unconscious, and partially because I don't want to be shot."

"Are you trying to imply something Mister Black?"

"Perish the thought dear. Thank you for the help though, it was kind of you. Most women outside of Leah here, would not have been able to do so, even if they would have wanted to."

"It takes more than good hand eye coordination to bury a knife in the right place."

"…quite." With that parting remark, he followed Charlie's earlier footsteps into his own home, leaving the crazy women together.

"Now that was just cruel." Bella stated.

"What was?"

"Billy thinks we are crazy women. That or Grave, but I am pretty sure it was Billy. Grave is a nice, if unstable guy."

"…Didn't you shoot Jacob when he tried to make fun of you for being a loving daughter to a loving father?"

"Yup. Want my spare Tranq Gun?" She asked holding out just that. Leah looked at her in the face, before looking at the gun, back again, and then she took it. "It works on all humans. Unless they are incredibly drugged, in which case I recommend you drive one of these into their spine" She pulled out a foot-long knife to demonstrate what to use in such a situation. "Those are rare though thankfully. Now, you must be responsible with these things. You can't just use them willy-nilly."

"If it isn't Leah, whose th-" The newcomer couldn't even finish his introduction before he fell forward, a dart sticking out near his collarbone. Bella just looked askance at Leah, and raised her eyebrow a bit in question.

"In my defense, that's Paul." As if that answered everything, which it kind of did, if you knew who Paul was. Which Bella did not, but would take Leah's word for it since she was the only one to converse with at the moment. That she was a woman after her own heart, would later be capable of becoming a giant fluffy dire wolf and even more attractive didn't hurt.

So Bella shrugged. "Works for me. By the way." She stuck her hand out to Leah. "Isabella Swan, although I prefer being called Bella, or Bea."

"Leah Sweatwater," she responded while taking and shaking her hand. "I didn't think I would ever say this, but it is a pleasure to meet you." Bella's raised eyebrow did all the talking, or questioning in this case, for her. "I expected, based off of experience, that all my encounters with female teenagers, especially from outside La Push, to be braindead, anorexic, and covered in so much makeup, I would think they would suffocate. Oh, and constantly chasing their latest romantic dream." That last one was spoke with particular vitriol.

"I learned, from a great man, early on in life, that I needed to follow a different path. After he explained to me some of the absolute truths of the universe, I found out that if I continued on as I was, I would be just as you said, minus the makeup, couldn't stand that stuff even when I was stupid, and it would lead to a pitiful existence, where my very purpose in life would be as the trophy of some egotistical, rich, probably attractive, eccentric douche fuck, with more pride than common sense and an urge to conquer the unique, as he would be too 'special' for the normal stupid women." She looked Leah dead in the eye, who shivered at the description, "Needless to say, I was glad that I was already on the path of awesomeness, and put even MORE effort to avoid such a fate. I will admit it has brought its own issues, not all of which are simple or things that could be ignored, but it is MUCH more preferable than the other outcome."

Leah nodded "I am glad to have met a woman like yourself, and am happy for you too."

"Thank you, and it is my pleasure to meet you as well. Most strong women I meet tend to be Yautja, and as much as I love hanging out with them, they tend to travel a lot to out of contact places, so I might never see some of them again, making it hard to make meaningfully active friendships. I am going to be hanging out with my dad the next couple days since it has been a while, but would you be interested and available this Sunday? It would be nice to have a proper friend here, since I don't imagine I will be getting along with most of my new school."

Leah actually smiled at that, her first one since her appearance actually. "I would love to. Since you are the one with the new car, how about you come over to my house? I will draw you a map."

Bella waved her off. "No need, I know from even way back that Charlie is good friends with your parents, he can give me directions. Plus, I studied the area before coming here, so it shouldn't be too hard with even just the address." Which really meant that she had studied several detailed maps with the streets, terrain levels, and a few other things that the Yautja had taught her to look for, since Deadpool doesn't really care about things like that with his immortality.

Fucking asshole.

Bright side? No Xenomorph lairs that could cause problems, or fun, later on.

Meh side? There was a coven of sparkly 'vampires' who didn't realize that satellites could get clear pictures of them doing superhuman things, and a clan of dire wolf shapeshifters with superiority complexes lead by a douchebag who makes Edward Cullen seem like an acceptable guy.

Good thing the world doesn't really care about simple things like sparkly 'vampires' and shapeshifting, mostly law-abiding douchebags when there are things like Xenomorphs, Demons and the fucking Joker out there.

On a completely unrelated note, Batman was fun to talk with, and Alfred is a God of the kitchen. Also happens to be a conglomeration of Tony and Black Widow in this universe when it comes to machines, technology, and being a general fucking badass.

And people wonder why Batman is Batman.

Leah just shrugged. "Okay, what time do you want to meet up?"

"I'm new here, I might be the one picking you up, but you're the one who is going to be in charge of this particular date. What to visit, when things open, where to eat, how to comport myself… okay that last one is just going to be me being me, but otherwise, it's all you this Sunday. Although if we are eating picnic style, tell me, I would like to be the one to cook."

Leah merely crossed her arms, "You didn't strike me as the cooking type."

"I had to. Mom and Phil can barely cook to save their lives, and I went on an unplanned hunting trip once which became a routine afterwards, quite often actually, so learning to cook anywhere and anything was a necessity. Afterwards, it became a nice hobby." A glint appeared in her eyes, "I make a mean Chimichanga."

* * *

 **A/N:** And Chapter Two is complete! We introduced Billy, Non-wolfie Jacob, Paul and Leah, and Charlie finally got a proper script! I refuse to accept that Paul wasn't an asshole prior to the whole shapeshifting and sparkle things started happening, based on his interactions with Sam during the cannon story. Leah herself was actually NOT an asshole prior to Sam wolfing out and imprinting on Emily, which lead to Sam breaking off his engagement with Leah. Furthermore, because of the whole 'secrecy' thing on the shapeshifting, they couldn't or rather didn't explain to her WHY he was breaking it off, and IMMEDIATELY shacking up with Emily. So naturally assuming the worse, she grew to be a hateful bitch with a massive temper and an inclination to snap at everything and everyone if there was even a single perceived fault that she disliked… which was a lot by the point she is properly introduced into the story. Thanks to all of said silence and lack of support from all the involved and supporting parties, and then lack of support, or rather OPPOSITION, once she joined them and learned the truth of the matter and lashed out, further driving her down the rabbit hole and away from the nice woman she had been prior to the story.

The only reason Leah here is NOT like she was known in Twilight is because:  
One – I have modified the timeline a tad bit, so this is still early after the split, so she is still in the midst of flip-flopping between rage, and depression. She hasn't settled on being a rage monster yet.

Two – She wasn't known to have many female (Nor male) friends thanks to her demeanor ANYWAY, since it was still rather different from all others, meaning that her closest female friend was Emily. Someone she almost considered a sister, and she currently feels that Emily betrayed her. As such, all women similar to her, which means Kind, relatively soft, and generally understanding, are an anathema to her at the moment. Meaning that she is currently rather lonely, having only her family as support for the most part.

Three – Bella is like NOTHING she has seen or dealt with before, (Let's be honest, how many people do you know, shoot a friend with a tran gun with no hesitation the second they are attempting a joke at their expense?) she is NEW, DIFFERENT, and INTERESTING. To boot, Bella even spouted a similar philosophy to Leah's currently developing one. So, Leah doesn't want to hurt this chance at a possible friendship, as she subconsciously feels the need to have someone there with her.


	5. Bella: The Gamer Prologue

…What. The Fuck.

My name is Isabella Swan. I was a normal American pre-teen.

Born to two loving parents, who eventually divorced, like 80% of Americans, I moved in with my rather flighty mother when it happened, two years ago. Now here I am, on the day of my 13th birthday… and I find myself staring at something that should be impossible.

 **CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE NOW 13 YEARS OLD!  
YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE GAME!**

 **[TOUCH COMMANDS ACTIVATED]**

 **WOULD YOU LIKE TO START THE GAME?  
Y / N**

I just stared at the blue glowing screen for a bit.

I slowly reached up and tapped the **N** on the screen.

 **ARE YOU SURE?  
Y / N  
TIP: IF YOU PLAY THE GAME, REALITY ITSELF WILL BE YOUR BITCH, AT THE MERCY OF YOUR WHIMS AND FORCED TO WORK AROUND YOUR ACTIONS AND CHOICES.**

That one caught me… after all, who didn't want super powers? Even if they seemed a bit crude.

Then I remembered my mother and that I don't need things like this, and shouldn't fall sway to things like this. I reached and tapped the **Y** this time.

 **ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN?  
Y / N  
TIP: IF YOU DECIDE TO GIVE UP ON THIS OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY WILL SOME OTHER UNFORTUNATE SOUL GET IT INSTEAD OF YOU (PROBABLY SOME OUT OF LUCK KOREAN), YOUR MEMORY OF THIS EVENT WILL BE REMOVED AND YOU WILL GO ON WITH YOUR LIFE IN ITS ORIGINAL PREDETERMINED PATH.  
TIP 2: YOUR ORIGINAL PREDETERMINED PATH, SHOULD YOU NOT TAKE THIS, INVOLVE YOU GROWING UP TO BEING RELATIVELY LACKING IN COMMON SENSE AND BEING A HOPELESS ROMANTIC THANKS TO YOUR MOTHER AND READING 'ROMEO & JULIET' ENOUGH TIMES TO WARRANT A PSYCHIATRIST BEING WORRIED.  
TIP 3: THESE WEAKNESSES OF YOURS, WILL LEAD YOU TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A CREEPY EGOTISTICAL CHAUVINISTIC STALKER WHO IS ACTUALLY A NIGH IMMORTAL WITH OVER 100 YEARS OF AGE, AND WHO FINDS YOU INTRIGUING DUE TO ONE OF YOUR NATURAL SKILLS AND AS SUCH, HUNTS YOU AS A TROPHY WIFE.  
TIP 4: IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT YOU WILL END UP PREGNANT WITH HIS CHILD BEFORE YOU END YOUR TEENAGE YEARS THANKS TO THAT PEDOPHILE. THE BIRTH WILL KILL YOU AL LA ALIEN XENOMORPH (THEY RIP THROUGH YOUR STOMACH, BREAKING YOUR RIBS IN THE PROCESS. HORRIBLY PAINFUL.) AND YOUR CHILD WILL END UP ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH A DOG AFTERWARDS. LITERALLY.**

My eyebrow twitched. I just know it did. Seriously, if it wanted me to play The Game that badly, it should have just greyed out the **N** or just started it without asking me… although it is nice to know a bit about my future, and what to look out for now.

With that in mind and that I would have to look up the Alien Xenomorph later for reference, I hit the **N** this time.

 **WOULD YOU LIKE TO START THE GAME?**

 **Y / N**

As I hit the **Y** this time, watching the entire world dissolve into 1s and 0s for a brief moment, I realized something.

I am Isabella Swan. I was a normal American pre-teen.

I am an abnormal American teen.


	6. Bella: The Gamer Chapter 1

It only took a moment for everything to go back to normal after I hit the **Y** on the blue screen.

 **THANK YOU FOR PLAYING THE GAME.  
YOU ARE NOW THE ONE AND ONLY GAMER!**

 **Luck has increased due to getting a peek at your future.  
Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

 **WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE CHARACTER CREATION SCREEN AND TUTORIAL?**

 **Y / N**

Did I say normal?

I sighed as I hit the **Y**. I did not expect this to be how I started my birthday… or any day for that matter.

Then I was hit with some massive vertigo and was forced to hold my stomach and head as I closed my eyes. As soon as it came, it was gone, and as I slowly opened my eyes, I noticed I was no longer in my bed any longer. Instead, I was in a large black void, with a full length mirror before me.

And why was I in my skivvies?

 **WELCOME TO THE CHARACTER CREATION SCREEN!**

 **AS THIS IS YOUR FIRST PLAYTHROUGH MOST FEATURES ARE LOCKED SO AS TO NOT DRASTICALLY CHANGE YOUR CURRENT PLACE IN THE WORLD. ALL FEATURES WILL BE UNLOCKED UPON NEW GAME OR NEW GAME PLUS.**

Wonder if that meant that I was immortal? Since I could apparently 'play' through my life more than once.

 **Wisdom has increased for correctly extrapolating extra information from that which is available.**

Good to know… I wish I knew more about games to know what that meant…

 **TO START WITH, PLEASE SELECT WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU!  
(For comparison reasons, the average female of your age will have about 10-15 points per stat,**

 **Strength (STR): 6  
Your physical prowess. Affects MAX HP, MAX STA, and PHYS ATK.  
Endurance (END): 6  
Your physical durability. Affects MAX HP, MAX STA, as well as HP and STA Recovery and PHYS DEF.  
Intelligence (INT): 10  
Your mental prowess and speed. Affects MAX MP, the ease and speed of your mental processes and retention, and MAG ATK.  
Wisdom (WIS): 3  
Your mental durability and flexibility. Affects MAX MP, and MP Recovery, as well as the ability to extrapolate the best or accurate information from that available.  
Agility (AGI): 1  
Your physical speed, balance and flexibility. Affects your ability to move and strike faster, jump higher, twist further and the ability to stay balanced even after extreme break dancing. Affects Critical, Dodge and Hit Chance.  
Luck (LUK): 51  
How lucky (Or unlucky) you are. Affects drop chance percentages, as well as any and all things in minor to major ways. **

**Unused Points: 10**

Wow… I am REALLY pathetic… I was hoping to be a bit better. Hell, ANY BIT better than THAT! I mean, SERIUOSLY!? With the points I earned earlier, that means I had before this, 1 Wisdom, and 9 Intelligence, which, despite being my highest stat… aside from that weird luck, is still below average. WAS I MENTALLY CHALLENGED OR SOMETHING!?

 **Wisdom has increased for correctly extrapolating extra information from that which is available.**

…I hate you… Is this one of those, Ignorance is bliss situations? Where it would have been better to just stay stupid and ignorant?

NO! Remember, remain stupid, you die giving birth to an immortal pedophile's child, who ends up with a dog… Do I REALLY want to be with a man-thing that will raise my child to fall in love with a dog!? FUCK THAT! I REFUSE!

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

Not going to complain, if the universe wants to make me smarter for not being stupid, go the fuck ahead… does increased Wisdom and Intelligence make me more of a 'potty mouth' as mom would say? Or is it just the combination of the increased stats and the knowledge of my situation?

 **Wisdom has increased for correctly extrapolating extra information from that which is available.**

Good to know… although, seriously? Smarter and wiser people tend to curse more? That's kinda stupid.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

…Mom will probably be angry if I go around cursing all the time now, or even accidently. So I will have to be careful from now on when around her.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

This is nice… even if it does mean that I was so stupid that even things that SHOULD have been common sense give me points towards my Wisdom and Intelligence…

Oh my god… does that mean that I actually DIDN'T know that before this? That I would have gone right ahead and cursed around Renee and gotten in trouble like an idiot!?

 **Wisdom has increased for correctly extrapolating extra information from that which is available.**

…I would simultaneously slam my head into my desk as well as thank you profusely for the opportunity to avoid a life of stupidity and immaturity that would be cut brutally short in a brutally bloody and painful way. Seeing as how I am in a black void with only a mirror in front of me, I will just thank you profusely.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

I got on my knees and started thanking the universe profusely.

 **All Stats increased due to proper understanding of your situation and action towards your patron.**

 **PATRON REVEALS NAME AS ELCHULUS.  
(Being called it, you, and universe gets boring and aggravating after a while, no?)**

I love you Elchulus, although it is kind a creepy that you are able to read my mind and control me and the universe to such an extent.

 **Strength and Endurance increased because Reality is my bitch, and through me, your bitch as well.**

I am going to focus on my stats now.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

I really am not going to complain, after finding out just how much I fail at life, both present and future, I have no pride left. I will take any free stats happily.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

Okay, my stats are now.  
STR: 8  
END: 8  
INT: 17  
WIS: 13  
AGI: 2  
LUK: 42  
Unspent: 10

Seeing as how most of my stats are average or almost there, except my Agility.. which explains why I am so clumsy that I can trip on air… I wi—

 **Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.  
Agility has increased due to Elchulus feeling pity for you.**

I now have average Agility… I don't care if it was pity, I am finally a normal human being. I would kiss you if you were before me Elchulus.

 **All Stats increased due to proper understanding of your situation and action towards your patron.**

I haven't started my new life as The Gamer, and already it was the greatest decision I have ever, and probably will ever make. Thank you again for not letting me reject the option so quickly and foolishly.

 **All Stats increased due to proper understanding of your situation and action towards your patron.**

Now then, what to focus on since I am finally a normal young teen. Well, considering that the world is a LOT more dangerous than I thought it was, it would probably be wise to either increase my combat capabilities, or my abilities to evade running into deadly situations.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

The question is which one… or should I take both? Damn it, being smarter and wiser means nothing if the amount of information I had prior to this is still nearly non-existant. I have no idea what to do to face any such situation, much less supernatural ones.

 **Wisdom has increased for realizing a truth of the world.**

The only things I know about such things are from cartoon shows, a couple of movies and a book here or there… not that any of them are real…

 **…**

I smacked myself. Reality is my bitch now, thanks to you, was it not, Elchulus?

 **All Stats increased due to proper understanding of your situation and action towards your patron.**

Well then, according to the few movies and books, the most important thing is going to be my speed, since if I cannot win by a quick strike to a vital point, slowly cutting them down works to. Or I can just run away.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

Well, there we go, even Elch, seems to agree. So I quickly proceeded to put all ten points into Agility.

 **Name: Isabella 'Bella' Swan  
Title: The Gamer  
HP: 265  
MP: 415  
STA: 177  
STR: 11  
END: 11  
INT: 22  
WIS: 19  
AGI: 25  
LUK: 55  
Unspent: 0**

As soon as I hit **ACCEPT** I was once again hit by some vertigo, although not as strong as before. No what hit me hard this time was pain. I literally felt as my muscles seemed to contract and expand, over and over again. Tearing and healing, as if I had gone through several marathons non-stop in the span of the few minutes I was on the floor there. The slight vertigo didn't compare to that kind of pain. There was even some sharp burning in my eyes for a brief period of time.

Thankfully, it ended. Not that I wanted to get up immediately afterwards, but I was eventually forced to do so, and boy was I shocked.

The 13 year old Bella who stared back at me from the mirror was not the one I was used to. The one I was used to looked pretty average, if on the thin side, with pale skin and no noticeable female shape. The one staring back at me was slightly toned overall with particularly toned legs, and showed more female proportions than I had before with a slightly tanned color on my originally pale skin. She looked like I would have if I had been a more physically active, and out in the sun, with a healthy diet.

I just keep getting more reasons to hate myself from thirty minutes ago who tried to reject this gift, and want to kiss you Elch.

 **All Stats increased due to proper understanding of your situation and action towards your patron.**

 **NOW THAT WE HAVE DECIDED YOUR STARTING STATS, LET US PROCEED TO YOUR AVAIABLE PERKS.  
(Perks are special abilities that boost your abilities beyond your skills and stats. Or make gaining/improving skills easier.)**

 **GREED (1/10)  
Get 10% more loot from defeated foes.**

 **LADY KILLER  
Do 50% more damage to females. (This applies to all facets of combat. Mortal and otherwise.)**

 **BLACK WIDOW  
Do 50% more damage to males. (This applies to all facets of combat. Mortal and otherwise.)**

 **THICK SKIN (1/5)  
Take 10% less damage from physical attacks.**

 **SWIFT (1/10)  
Increases overall movement speed and reaction speed by 15%.**

 **PINK MUSCLES (1/10)  
Get the best of both muscle colors, increase physical damage, physical defense, health, and stamina by 5%.**

 **HAWK EYED (1/10)  
Increase range of eyesight to 100 meters. Better peripheral and kinetic vision.**

 **POLYGLOT  
Learn languages twice as fast. (Anything defined as a language counts. Regardless of whether it can only be spoken, written, or signed.)**

 **NATURAL GENIUS  
Gain 25% more XP from all facets.**

 **GENIUS OF HARD WORK  
All skills improve 50% faster when in use.**

Okay… pretty much ALL of these are combat perks… if all physical perks, but I should get one of the last three… although a few of the combat ones are generally good as well, regardless of fighting or not.

After considering it a bit, I selected **NATURAL GENIUS** , considering it would reap the most rewards over time by getting it from the beginning, and unlike **GENIUS OF HARD WORK** it would be easier to utilize, particularly any combat skills, since I really don't want nor could explain getting into any such situation as a 13-year-old.

 **Wisdom and Intelligence has increased due to making an intelligent decision with the information available.**

 **LET US LOOK AT YOUR AVAILABLE SKILLS, AND SKILLS YOU CAN UNLOCK!  
(Skills are separated by Passive, those that work all the time, and Active, those that only work while you activate them. Skills encompass everything, from fighting styles and super techniques, to your language and Sudoku skills, or even cleaning dishes.)**

 **GAMER'S MIND (MAX) [PASSIVE]  
As the Gamer, you hold unimaginable powers, and we can't have that fall into others hands. Your mind is protected from all forms of attack and coercion or control. Drugs meant to weaken your mind will be immediately countered leaving you clear headed. Reduces overwhelming emotions to manageable levels. Prevents shock. You can still be convinced if they have a silver tongue, or due to outside influences like a hostage. Has a direct connection to Elchulus.**

First, THE FUCK!? I can understand and am thankful that I can no longer be brainwashed or something, but what the fuck do they expect me to run into!? Although this does explain why I have been reacting so acceptable to this situation, even before my increased stats and considering that without this power, my world still has apparent immortals and babies that rip through your stomach and ribs.

Also since you can apparently see, hear and fuck with everything, does that last line even have to be there?

 **NEW TITLE RECEIVED: SMARTASS  
Let's you point out the obvious to others without them feeling stupid or like you are an asshole. Only effective while title is equipped, at all other times, people will react negatively to you being an asshole smartass.**

Really?

 **SMARTASS LEVEL UP  
SMARTASS LEVEL UP**

Oh fuck you! CAN TITLE'S EVEN LEVEL UP!?

 **Wisdom has increased for correctly extrapolating extra information from that which is available.**

…let's just get on to my next skill.

 **GAMER'S BODY (MAX) [PASSIVE]  
You are a game character, so any changes to your stats and the like will immediately affect you. You recover all health, mana, stamina and status effects after resting in bed. Lost limbs and the like will be recovered after rest, but scars will be created for all injuries requiring them, and will remain barring special procedures, perks, skills or items. Vital areas are still vital, damage to said areas will be calculated differently, and loss of head will be considered an instant death, unless certain perks, skills or items are in effect at the time.**

…I… I don't even know what to say to that. Whereas I am happy that I can apparently recover from anything overnight, including apparently fatal damage… the fact that the description goes out of its way to point out that I will be receiving scars and have to actively avoid death… doesn't really lift my spirits for the rest of my life… FUCK! I WAS A NORMAL PRE-TEEN!

…yeah I can't even honestly fight that, since my 'normal' life would have ended in a most ABNORMAL way… Does that mean I was just that fricking blind? To not see all the crap that is actually going around me? Or was it my fucking horrible Wisdom that didn't allow me to realize what may have been obvious? Nah, otherwise the rest of the world would know, they aren't all mentally retarded like I used to be… Are they?

…maybe I should have gotten the **HAWK EYE** perk.

Also, what is it with me putting down my past self? That was me not even an hour ago!?

... she was pretty stupid and weak though… I look back at my slightly toned and tanned body… yeah, I can make fun of my past self. Even if this all turns out a dream, I now have a goal after all.

 **THOSE TWO SKILLS WERE ALL THAT YOU HAVE. YOU HAD NO PREVIOUS SKILLS TO SPEAK OF THAT COULD BE TRANSLATED INTO THE GAME!**

 **SINCE I FEEL SO BAD ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU SUCKED, HERE IS A COUPLE OF FREEBIES!**

You make me alternate from 'Must not kill screen, it is giving me power and skills.' to 'I love you!', even if it is true… Oh my god!

 **YES?**

Do not get angry that it is a dick. It gave me a way to survive. It is a good dick… Urgh… why did mom have to give me the talk last week after she heard me use those words… now I just want to stay away from crap like that.

And YOU! I just realized that you're the reason I am turning into a crazy person!

 **Wisdom has increased for realizing a truth of the world.**

Seriously!? Turning me crazy is a universal truth!?

Urgh… Whatever, let us look at the two skills you have so graciously granted me.

 **All Stats increased due to proper understanding of your situation and action towards your patron.**

…it is because of things like that, that I really can't hate you, even when I realize that my bi-polar reactions are all because of things like this…

 **OBSERVE (1/100) [ACTIVE 0.0%]  
It lets you gain information about the target of observation. Higher levels give more information. **

This is in answer to my blind comment, isn't it? I appreciate the skill!

 **GOD'S INTUITION (1/100) [PASSIVE 0.0%]  
Your gut feeling, replaced by Elchulus telling you that there is a problem. So pay attention to it! At the beginning, you will only hear when Elchulus 'screams' at you. Higher levels confer more understanding of the 'feelings' as well as the ability to hear even the little 'whispers' warning you of something.**

…okay, these pokes at my inability to notice things are getting kind of aggravating…. Although I still thank you for them, as they are too good for me to say otherwise. I mean seriously? My gut feelings will now be 100% trustworthy, since it is YOU sending me them… although how would I understand the feeling? AND WAIT! You can literally MESSAGE ME DIRECTLY WHATEVER THE HELL YOU FEEL LIKE! WHY WOULD YOU MAKE IT A SUPER VAGUE 'FEELING'!?

 **IT WOULD BE BORING IF I DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU. I ALREADY GAVE YOU A LOT OF FREEBIES AND STILL PLAN A FEW MORE, SINCE YOU REALLY WERE PATHETIC, AND THIS IS THE TUTORIAL. AFTERWARDS, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN TALK TO ME, DO NOT EXPECT A RESPONSE. THE FACT THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO ASSIST YOU THROUGH A MODIFIED SKILL SHOWS JUST HOW MUCH I AM GOING OUT OF MY WAY TO HELP YOU. SERIOUSLY, HOW MANY PRIMORDIAL GODS DO YOU KNOW OF? HOW MANY WOULD ACTIVELY HELP SOMEONE? MUCH LESS A MORTAL, OF WHICH EVEN REGULAR SPECIES, MUCH LESS LESSER GODS OR THOSE BEYOND, THINK LESS OF? I HAVE LITERALLY BROKEN REALITY TO GIVE YOU YOUR ABILITY, AND WILL CONTINUE LOOKING OVER YOU IN A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY THAN ANY 'GUARDIAN ANGEL'.**

…I was honestly shocked. I literally have no words, and barely any thoughts to comprehend this… I was not well read prior to this, and I don't have much of a base to help me, but the increased stats did help me figure some things out… aside from the fact that I need to scour the internet later for everything that I can.

I already realized Elchulus was powerful, his comments of making Reality his bitch pretty much cemented that… I guess I didn't really UNDERSTAND that until he stopped playing around and said it like it is… I had a being powerful enough, that he predates all of the other gods and possibly the universe itself… And he has not only created a power that grants me a fraction of his strength over the universe itself, it will allow me to grow quicker and stronger than ever, to escape my horrendous fate of marrying and copulating with a sick, demented, rich, narcissistic, egomaniacal, immortal pedophile… he is saying he will be ACTIVELY looking out for me…

I just sat there for a bit, as I let my much higher WIS and INT allowed me to process that… even with my Gamer's Mind muting my feeling quite a bit, once I TRULY realized the implication of my new abilities and patron guardian god… well, as I said, I needed a moment.


	7. Naruto - It takes three for Happiness

_'….How did this happen?'_ Was Sakura's first thought upon finding herself not on her own bed, but on top of the Fourth Hokage's head, that fine morning.

In particular, she also happened to find herself devoid of clothing, and wrapped in the arms of another.

If that wasn't enough to make alarms ring in her head about how strange the previous night ended, add to the fact that her partner in bed, as it were, was the famously shy _HYUUGA_ _HINATA_ , sans clothing herself.

Then Naruto literally rolled into the picture from behind her and Sakura's brain shut down.

* * *

"Okay, let me see if I am understanding this properly." Stated a now properly dressed pink-haired iryo-nin. "Last night, Konoha decided, for whatever reason, to have a ridiculously huge party, in which case EVERYONE joined in. Right?" Both of the kneeling teenagers before her nodded. "I recall being dragged there by Tsunade-sama, since I apparently had no real social life without Ino to drag me around, before she left me like Ino did for something more entertaining. In her case, booze. It was at that point that I ran into Hinata, right?" The blushing girl nodded. "What happened from there that ended in… this?" She asked waving vaguely at the entire area and all three participants.

Hinata started blushing heavily again. "Ano… Well… When you saw me sitting alone, you joined me and started asking me why I was alone like yourself. After a bit of talking with me avoiding the issue, you ordered drinks for us… …I was not ready for alcohol, since I started spilling my life story to you, which in turn caused you to drink more, and then spill your own life to me." At this point, her face resembled a tomato more than was probably healthy. "We somehow both decided people with sticks up their… their 'asses' were the cause of our problems. While complaining about them, we somehow fell into the topic of boys in general… where we started talking about Naruto eventually." Now Naruto joined her in blushing, as did Sakura a bit. "Somehow… somehow you decided I was right in pursuing him, since he had always followed through on his words, and was a great man, before you started crying about how he had followed you, and you had ruined a perfect opportunity with one of the best men around." Now both of the other two were competing with Hinata for brighter shades of red. Hinata started pressing her fingers together while trying to get her courage to continue. "I… I may… I may have… … I may have cried about how you still had a better chance, since he still liked you, and he barely knew me. You blew up and started saying how that was untrue, and we fought back and forth a bit, until it almost came to blows… then Naruto showed up and separated us, before taking us to a nearby training ground to cool off."

They both turned to Naruto.

He looked down, avoiding their eyes, before they heard his voice. "I had just walked in, and seen you both about to fight, and jumped in to attempt to avoid it, since I didn't want to see any of my friends fighting, especially the two most important to me. So I grabbed you both and with the help of a couple Kage Bunshin, managed to get you out to the nearest empty training field. Where I asked you both what had been going on… Then you both started crying and talking about how… about how you both wanted to be with me… but couldn't. Either because I supposedly didn't like you, or because you had ruined your chance… startled as I was, I of course immediately rejected both of you. Telling Hinata how I did like her, how it was because of her constant support from the shadows that I kept pushing myself to continue, instead of breaking down when the entire village and academy tried to do so. And telling Sakura how she had never ruined anything, how she was still the socially awkward, smart, kind girl I had initially saved from bullies and fallen for before our academy years, the same girl who showed me that there was a chance for someone like myself to be thanked and respected." At this point he looked up to the two girls, a serious look on his eyes. "You two were the reason I decided to become a ninja, and why I continued at it until I succeeded." Both girls were looking at Naruto with something akin to awe and sadness in their eyes, however, then the red crept back into Naruto's face as he lowered it. "You both then jumped on me crying for a long while, saying things I couldn't quite make out, although some sounded like apologies and promises, not that they were coherent. Eventually you both stopped, stood up and looked at each other with fierce expressions, before grabbing an arm each and dragging me away."

At this point his literal steam started coming out of his ears.

The girls, fearing the continuation of the story, yet feeling they already knew it, looked at each other, before turning back to him. Sakura, of course, was the one to speak. "So we dragged you here… and… well… you know…" He shook his head. "What do you mean no? I know we did it Naruto, I was a virgin yesterday, and I am not this morning if my earlier diagnostic is correct. Which it most definitely is considering the difficulty I had walking and getting ready." You could literally hear the steam erupting from both Naruto and Hinata's heads.

"That wasn't what I meant…"

"Then what did you mean?"

"We stopped somewhere first. Before coming up here and … you know."

That is when Sakura started paling a bit, millions of possibilities flying through her head. "What did we do Naruto?"

Naruto merely pointed at a cropping that held their weapon pouches and a few scrolls. Hesitantly, Sakura walked towards it, and shifted through it until she found something that normally didn't belong. A bright red scroll with a flowery motif.

Gathering her courage, she pulled it open and quickly read the contents.

Hinata watched as Sakura opened it… and promptly froze. After five minutes, she decided to walk over and check for herself just what had caused Sakura to react as she did.

Her eyes opened to such a proportion at the sight that she would have been surprised that her eyes did not pop out. However, her thoughts were rather occupied by the contents of the scroll.

 **The below name parties, in accordance with the law of Konohagakure, have been brought together in matrimony.**

 **Uzumaki Naruto** **-** **Haruno Sakura**

 **Haruno Sakura** **-** **Hyuuga Hinata**

 **Hyuuga Hinata - Uzumaki Naruto**

With the blessing on their legal gaurdians, Hatake Kakashi and Yuhi Kurenai, and with the power vested in Senju Tsunade as Godaime Hokage, this matrimony has been accepted and processed.

 **May all involved parties have a long, fulfilling and happy life together.**

* * *

It took a while before Sakura was able to continue and finished reading the document in its entirety, before rolling it back up, and going back to her original spot, Hinata trailing behind her.

"So, were in a three-way marriage."

"…I am sure we can go and get baa-chan to annul it." Naruto, with his head still down, quietly stated.

Two hands had gotten ahold of his shirt's collar and pulled him up before anyone realized what was happening. Two hands… each connected to a different arm and body. Naruto looked down at his two new wives, each glaring at him harder than he had seen even Sasuke manage. "Why would you say that? How could you possibly think to say that?" Questioned the ex-Hyuuga with steel lining her words.

"You were both incredibly drunk last night. I… I don't want you two to have to live with any mistakes caused during a moment of weakness and inebriety."

Clearly the wrong thing to say, as Naruto soon found himself on his back, buried six inches into the hard stone of the Fourth Hokage's head.

"We may have been drunk Naruto, but I assure you we meant every probable word that came out of our mouths. Sleeping with you was not a mistake. There isn't ANY person in this world who deserves it more, or whom I would want to have done it with more, and I am sure Hinata agrees." The dark haired bluenette rapidly nodded in agreement. "Marrying you was simply the next step. If anything…" And here she looked down at her feet, rather than Naruto. "how are YOU feeling about this?"

Naruto's eyes widened, staring up at the pink haired girl who tossed him into the earth, before he decided to think before responding. "…I am not certain. I mean I love you two… but, I mean, I never expected this."

"To be married to the two girls you love, who love you back?"

"…to be married." As both girls stared at the downed male, he continued. "I have never wanted anything more than a family, after a while, I realized mine would never come, so I would have to make my own. Sandaime-jiji was the first member. Iruka-sensei the second. Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan, you were the third and fourth. Anko-chan the fifth. It stayed at that for the longest time. I wasn't smart enough to realize that Shika and Choji had become the sixth and seventh during that time. Nor that Kiba had become the eigth… but, as much as I considered and consider you all my precious people and family… it was never going to be the same as true family… and I accepted it as the best I would ever get. Then last night, the two most important girls in my life both confess their feelings to me, and then practically forced themselves on me, which I will admit I did not resist as I should have since I myself was partially intoxicated since Anko was trying to prove that I COULD get drunk, despite the Kyuubi's influence, and in that state, your words seemed to make enough sense to me to go forth with something that I would never have done so sober."

"So, are you saying you would not marry or return our feelings if you were sober?"

Hearing Sakura's unusually weak sounding voice, Naruto immediately jumped out of the crater he was in, "NO! I meant that I would not have allowed myself to take advantage of you two when you were drunk and not thinking straight! I am tearing myself apart thinking about stealing away something so important to you two already, much less your entire futures! I can't bear hurting you two like that!"

Sakura's head rose up, her eyes glaring, and she moved as if to grab Naruto… but fell behind as she watched Hinata step in front of her faster than she had ever seen the girl move, and slap Naruto. "You can't bear to hurt us? YOU ARE HURTING US RIGHT NOW! GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL NARUTO! BOTH OF US LOVE YOU! WE GOT DRUNK LAST NIGHT BECAUSE OF HOW DEPRESSED WE WERE THAT WE EITHER DIDN'T DESERVE YOU, OR WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO BE WITH YOU! THE ONLY THING YOU STOLE FROM US WAS OUR HEARTS! LONG AGO! AND YOU ARE TEARING THEM APART WITH YOUR ACTIONS RIGHT NOW! YOU SAID YOU LOVE US. PROVE IT! STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM US AND THE SITUATION! BE THE MAN WE FELL IN LOVE WITH! THE BOY WHO NEVER GAVE UP! THE MAN WHOSE VERY WAY OF LIFE IS REFUSING TO GIVE UP AND RUN AWAY! WHERE IS HE NOW!?"

Tears fell from her eyes as she shouted at her loved one, as he stared in shock and shame. As she finished he drew her closer and hugged her to him, "I am sorry. I don't know if either of you are making a mistake or not. I don't know if I am worthy of your loves, but I will be damned before I actively work against it. If neither of you are willing to end this, I will work to make sure it is everything you both dreamed of." He turned his eyes to Sakura as he continued holding Hinata. "I ask you both to help me though… I have never had a family, and have no idea what to do."

"Oh Naruto. You don't have to do it yourself, a family all works together, you aren't going to be holding all the weight yourself. Although, I will admit I also have no idea how to deal with a three-way marriage. Considering that apparently, I am as effectively married to Hinata as I am to you… Not exactly what I expected, but you aren't known as the Most Unpredictable Ninja for nothing."

A giggle escaped from Hinata whose face was still buried into Naruto's chest. Which caused the other two present to smile, before Naruto asked the million-ryo question.

"What now?"

* * *

 **A/N:** For those of you waiting for Second Life. I apologize for the delay. Life has me by the proverbial testicles, and I just recently had to bail family out, which has me in a bit of debt... again. Not to mention, that after watching Season 3 of RWBY, I really can't seem to find any inspiration for it.

I will admit that seeing Qrow end up looking quite a bit like my own image of him, minus the outfit and weapon, had me cracking up.

For those who have no interest in SL, hope you enjoyed this piece, I literally have no idea why it came to my head. XD


	8. Halkegenia Loops Intro

**A/N:** HELLO! I have been in drastic need for happier stories thanks to my own RL and Season Three of RWBY, so I decided to look up some old reads and link to the writer's favorites. Well, I fell upon the Infinite Loops again, this time with Winx Club surprisingly enough… Let me state that I have literally NEVER seen it outside of advertisements on the TV, and felt no interest in it. But when a writer has a favorite list that consists PURELY of Fate/Stay Night, and RWBY, with a SINGLE inconsistency… well, you get curious, no?

I ended up loving it. Although I did have to constantly google the characters and places to know who was what and where. At the time, I was writing chapter 4 of my Familiar of Zero and Vindictus crossover story, and I was hit with an OLDER memory, of a couple of FoZ attempts at Time Loop stories. One which used Saito as the 'Anchor'. This was a rather dark story, in which Saito had no Plot Armor or Comedy Violence, so he was constantly killed by accident or even on purpose, by Louise's magical explosions.

The other is the one whose example I will follow, in which Louise's VERY first loop… is a fused loop, where she gets Broly as her summon, who promptly destroys the entire academy and kills them all, which causes Louise to immediately wake up again, at the beginning of the day, wondering if she just dreamed it all. I won't spoil the rest, as even though it seems to be dead, it is still a good read, and I have the info on my profile for all of you to go over it.

Now, although I am following the example of the second one, I am planning to connect it to the Infinite Loops, unlike the two prior. It is just that I REEAALLLLLLLLLLY, don't like Saito.

For all those who do, I am sorry, I just don't like him. I am not saying he is a bad guy. Nor is it something against perverted characters (Although they are a bit harder for me to accept than others [Unless they are perverted female characters…]), since I absolutely love Jiraiya and Issei, from Naruto and High school DxD. But Saito just rubs me the wrong way, despite the fact that, yeah, there was some moderate brainwashing involved that was screwing him over, AND, as one of the millions of average and standard Japanese male teenagers, he has no REAL ability to deal with the situation he was tossed into… but still, I just don't like how he acts or how things play out with him. And as such, I WILL NOT, write a story where Louise ends up in a relationship with him, so having her loop at the end of a baseline loop, while being in a relationship with Saito?

Not gonna happen. So instead, I am going to have her first loop, be a FUSED loop, with a different summon, to make things more interesting.

Oh, her summon will be Awake, but since Louise has NO idea how to understand or respond to the ping, since it is her first loop, she will be considered a stealth anchor for the summon until another fused loop occurs. XD

Now, I ask you all to put up with me, since I wish to AVOID Louise getting together with Saito, which would be NATURAL in such a situation, simply because he would be the closest male to her, through every loop, and as such, would probably begin looping first thanks to that, it would be NORMAL for them to end in a relationship.

Since you all know I will NOT do that, I need to SOMEHOW make Louise's summon influence her into going after one of the other 'standard' characters in the story instead. After looking at my poll for my FoZ/Vindi, which seems to be leaning towards Tabitha as being her Summon, I will attempt to make this into a Charlotte/Louise story. Which I am happy to admit would be my favorite pairing in FoZ. Followed by Montmorency and the maids, including Siesta. Or a Ménage a Trois with Kriche, Louise, and Tabitha.

Don't. Just don't ask me how these things came about. I am sure I will SOMEHOW implement them into the loops at some point. Since I am CERTAIN that Montmorency will loop before Guiche, if either of them loop at all, and Monmon would most certainly go down the route of Sakura Syndrome for a bit while trying to keep Guiche to herself, if I don't play my cards right. So yeah, MUCH later. XD Fun things for now, I am in SERIOUS need of lighthearted comedy. Even better with some Fluffy Yuri.

Also, I do NOT have a Spacebattles account, but I am PLANNING on getting one, so that I can eventually post this on their Infinite Loops section, if people like it. There was ALREADY an attempt at it on the site, but it has been dead since 2014, and it pairs Louise with Saito… So yeah.

Although the snip with Alucard was NICE.

BEGIN!

 **(I am a line)**

Louise woke up in a bit of a different mood to her usual. One would wonder why Louise the Zero would wake up in a mood other than depressed, angry, or resigned. They would wonder, because no one in the whole darn academy, besides, possibly, Tabitha, Osmond, and Colbert, know anything about the small pink haired girl anyway!

Louise ALWAYS woke up determined to prove herself each day, after she dealt with the sleepiness and lack of energy to do anything of course. THAT is why today was different. Unlike what is normal for her, she awoke fresh and ready for the day, immediately. There was no room in her mind to be drowsy, for it was too filled with anticipation. Anticipation, because today, she proved to the world, that she was in fact a mage. Although that was obvious to anyone with half a brain… which in this school, meant herself, Miss Longuevillle, Professors Osmond and Colbert, and Tabitha and Kirche, could tell she had magic. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to cast anything, much less constantly blow up her targets.

She just couldn't control her magic properly, because she didn't know her element. BUT TODAY! She would learn what her true element was, and finally get a proper grasp of her magic! For today, they summoned their familiars, and each person's familiar, with very few exceptions, was tied to one's element.

So Louise rushed through her morning ablutions and headed down to the breakfast table. She couldn't wait.

 **(I too am a line)**

A loud explosion rang out across the courtyard. Louise had just finished chanting the words for the ritual summoning, which apparently joined the list of things that blew up when Louise attempted it.

Coughing was heard from the smoke cloud. "Not the way I usually Wake up." Suddenly the smoke cloud was blown away by a blast of wind, revealing a short-haired, dark skinned, toned young woman wearing dark blue, baggy pants, reminiscent of nomad tribes she had seen. A lighter blue shirt that was cut off before the shoulders, with what looked like metal and leather arm guards. All her clothing, including her boots, had white outlines or borders.

She was looking around in confusion and intrigue at the situation. "Well, this is new. Forgive me, I am feeling kind of Loopy at the moment." Everyone watched the attractive women look around while speaking in a foreign language, before one of Louise's classmates shouted.

"HAH! Louise the Zero summoned a barbarian!"

"Can't even speak proper Tristainian!"

"And look at her outfit!" This did not need to be pointed out for many of the males present.

Silence immediately befell the courtyard, as sudden as the earth that rised up below their feet and entombed everyone up to their heads. Except Tabitha. Probably because she was far in the corner of the field, reading her book. "What's wrong with my outfit!?"

To say that everyone was shocked would be like saying that Louise only sometimes blew stuff up with her spells. It would be a gross understatement.

The newcomer apparently spoke in their language, and had just cast some really precise, chantless, and wandless earth magic…

There would be a lot more chaos if the bronze barbarian before them wasn't glaring at everyone, wisely making them keep their tongues in their mouths.

Louise didn't know what to think… She had summoned a human. A human barbarian from what she could only imagine was the Southern Lands. A barbarian who spoke perfect Tristainian and casually used powerful and precise Earth magic to a level that many Square mages would be green with envy.

It was amazing she didn't faint.

More amazing was the fact that professor Colbert stepped forward to speak with the woman holding almost most of her classmates lives in her hands.

 **(Like my brothers before me, I am a line)**

"Okay. While I am not happy with having been brutally ripped away from my home and family without consent or warning, then insulted immediately afterwards, I can understand that the little lady had as little choice in the matter as I did." At this she looked at the slightly cowed Louise.

Professor Colbert had explained to the woman, Korra she has called herself, what had happened. He had also asked her about her, and she stated that she came from a place called the Southern Water Tribe, which confirmed that she WAS a Barbarian… albeit a barbarian who spoke proper Tristainian, DID NOT seem to be walking around wearing skulls or painted in blood, carried no visible and primitive weapons, and seemed to be at LEAST a Square Class Earth Mage by how easily she released the entire class with a single movement at the Professors request.

"You said your name was Louise?" She nodded at the taller woman. "Look, under normal circumstances, I would probably have knocked you all unconscious for what happened, but as I said, you had no choice in the matter, just like none of the others could choose in who their familiars were, or the familiars in who their masters. However, unlike them, I am Human, and I refuse to be a slave to another. It is a barbaric practice that I despise with my whole being." Louise cringed, and then looked crestfallen. Her familiar was rejecting her, and Louise's own morals, and logic would not allow her to refute the powerful women's words or actions. She herself would not have been NEARELY as calm or rational if she found herself in the others shoes. The few who started snickering at the situation were quickly enveloped in earth again. "That being said, I believe in destiny. As such I refuse to leave you to it alone if I was summoned to help you, so I ask if you would like a partner on your adventure."

Louise looked up in shock.

"Now, I have to make this clear. I will accept becoming your familiar, even going through the Ritual, but I am no semi-intelligent animal. This will be a partnership. I am no slave, despite me accepting the title of familiar to avoid problems in this land. We are equals in this relationship. I will protect you as much as you do the same to me. I will aid you in your endeavors so long as they do not impugn on my morals. Understand, that outside of combat situations, you cannot order me around. You can make requests, ask advice, or assistance, but no orders. If you can reside by those general rules, I will help you as your familiar. Deal?" She extended her hand to Louise.

Louise looked at the taller woman towering over her. Louise was at a crossroads. She was loathed to admit it, but her familiar was more powerful than her, more dangerous, and completely in the right. Tristainian laws had nothing in regards to such a situation, and it is true that the familiar bond could be considered to slavery, which most DEFINITELY would be considered illegal. She was sure that she could fight it as not being slavery, that it was merely her familiar, and as such should be treated the same as all others. Like an intelligent dog or some such.

Of course, that would only work if said familiar wasn't capable of taking out the master, and her entire year grade class without uttering a single word, and made it clear that she was intelligent, capable, and willing.

So Louise would just have to take things as they came. She was used to that at least, having had a rather difficult life, taking her licks as they came. It could even be said that this was an opportune situation.

Sure, she wanted a manticore like her mother, or maybe a dragon or griffin, but a master Earth mage as a familiar? No one else can say to have had such a familiar before, and Korra was both willing to help her, as well as protect her as she had shown with the students who insulted them. Louise would just take it as gaining a personal tutor then. Who also happened to be a guard, who WASN'T on her payroll. She could live with that.

Louise extended her hand and gripped Korra's. "Deal."

Professor Colbert jumped in at that point, "Excellent, well then, let us continue with the ritual then, and miss Korra, if you could please release those students before they die from oxygen deprivation please?"

Korra chuckled, "I left air holes, they won't die. Also, I would hope they understand that words are weapons, just like any others. So if they continue using them to attack me or Louise, I will retaliate appropriately. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" She shouted towards the few mounds of earth among the loosely spread students. They all heard some muffled yells, or cries. She wasn't sure, it was hard to tell. "Good." She released them, showing a few of them had urinated themselves, before turning back to Louise. "It's your show Louise. Go for it."

Louise straightened her spine, pulled out her wand and began the ritual words of binding. The circle they stood on began glowing a bit as she did so, Korra watching in apparent fascination, which caused her to be unprepared for when Louise leaned in on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on her lips. Of course, before she could respond to that, she had to hold her hand in pain as runes started branding themselves on the back of her left hand.

"Quick question, is it supposed to feel like someone is branding you with a red-hot poker?" She seemed relatively calm for her supposed description of what she was feeling.

Louise turned to her professor in question. "I am afraid I am not certain miss Korra. No other familiar has ever shown any pain during the ritual, and you are the first human familiar I have ever heard of. So I am afraid that I am not certain."

At that moment, the runes finished glowing, and Korra let go of her hand, and her scrunched brow became normal again. "You are lucky I am no stranger to pain, I am certain most other people would have been on the ground rolling around and screaming in pain." At this point, she turned back to Louise, a smirk on her face. "Also, I am glad you find me attractive, and I did say it was a relationship, but I did not mean a romantic one. I already have a wife whom I love with all my heart, and she would tear me to pieces if I cheated on her."

Louise's brain wasn't the only one to be forced to restart at that last comment. As she started spluttering some response while her new familiar was laughing out loud, her rebooting brain wondered if she hadn't maybe possibly made a bad decision.

 **(My mother gave birth to a line.)**

The following month had been unique, felt Korra. She had yet to find any other loopers. For that matter, she had never heard of this particular loop among her friends. She wondered if perhaps she was the first non-baseline looper in this world. _'But then, why hasn't the anchor come forward to the irregularity? Unless they looped out? But then why hasn't the other anchor replied to my pings?'_ Needless to say, Korra had been a bit miffed at the stealth anchor. No one had done or said anything that made her suspect them as the anchor. Heck, the most suspicious one had been that Tabitha girl that she had forced Louise to get close to and befriend. _'A bust as far as I can tell. Although thankfully, my bullshit reason for getting them together worked several times better than I could have imagined. Seriously, an undercover princess from a neighboring country? Who also happens to be hiding her skills and heritage, because her evil uncle killed her father and poisoned her mother, keeping the girl under her thumb? Despite Louise still not having any real combat ability, that girl has her heart in the right place, and a proper fire in her belly.'_

They immediately called in a couple of weeks from school for family reasons, flew over to Galia on Sylphid, _'Which was awesome.'_ Snuck into her mother's tower. Then they stealthily 'kidnapped' her, took her to an old Valliere safehouse that wasn't in use, where Korra was able to heal her over the week thanks to her Water bending. The reunion between a healing and mostly sane mother and daughter was ridiculously touching.

 _'Sick queen locked up on the top of a tower? Check. Using said queen to pressure the princess into becoming a skilled mage assassin? Unique, although similar to Zelda, so Check. Having said princess encounter a hero, who saves her and her sick mother? Once again, getting Zelda and Link vibes here. Check nonetheless. Having the princess pledge her loyalty and staff to the hero-ine? That is most definitely new. Good for them! Although I do wonder what is next after this.'_

Korra's thoughts continued trying to plan for the rest of the loop, while Louise and Tabitha prepared to move Tabitha's mother to the Valliere home, where she could be better treated. As they both needed to get back to school for the talent show, and to avoid bringing up too much suspicion.

Louise wondered what to tell her family…

 **(I am the twin of the line above)**

Well, that had gone better than planned. Mother was more than happy to help Charlo—Tabitha's mother to recover from her ordeal.

She still didn't know what to think of the situation. One moment she is Louise the Zero… well, she still TECHNICALLY was, but then she gets a familiar, who can bend the four elements to a level that Elves themselves would be envious. Yeah, not a mage, she didn't use a wand, incantation, or the like. Nor did she use the spirits of nature like the Elves did. She, herself, with her own power, controlled the four elements directly. Needless to say, Louise and Tabitha were quite shocked when they learned that.

Although, thankfully, most others only controlled one element, it was just her that used all four. That made Louise proud.

Second, she was now friends with Tabitha, who she finds out is actually Princess Charlotte of Galia… as well as a Chevalier, and used as a suicidal assassin by her Uncle, the current King of Galia who took the crown after killing Tabitha's father and poisoning her mother, which had left her weak and mostly insane.

To imagine that a fellow classmate of hers had had such a life. It truly made Louise grateful that she stood strong and never went around crying or complaining about her own life. Otherwise, she wasn't sure she could ever bring herself to be friends with Tabitha, feeling she didn't deserve such an amazing person as a friend.

Instead, Korra tells them she can probably heal her, they go on a quick and insane adventure, which was admittedly started thanks to Louise wanting to help Tabitha at all costs. Wanting to help the one girl smaller than her in all physical matters, and who had never even given her a bad look, who had been a good constant in this horrible academy and the only to match her in grades outside of practicals. They sneak into a guarded tower, rescue the queen, take her to an old safehouse her dad had shown her on a map once. Then Korra heals Tabitha's mother, although not completely, it was enough for mother and daughter to reconnect.

Louise will admit that tears were brought to her own eyes at that moment. She will not admit that her heart hurt a bit at the sight, hoping she had such a close connection with her mother. She knew her mother loved her. She had also accepted that her mother would never show the same emotions that Tabitha's did at that moment. It just wasn't what Karin did. Her fabled Rule of Steel would not allow it. Still, she took heart in the fact that her mother DID love her. That was enough for Louise, who had failed Karin's expectation in all but her intelligence and perseverance, yet still retained her mother's love.

She almost chuckled at the fact that the famed Karin of the Heavy Wind… had three daughters, all three of whom are considered failures by their peers. She cannot use magic properly. Cattleya is too sick to do anything. Eleanor is constantly having her arranged marriage broken off, since the males are scared of her. In all fairness, Eleanor had severe anger issues, added with her sadistic tendency to whip and hit her issues? If Louise is saying someone has anger issues, they have issues.

Anyway, having Tabitha swear her loyalty to her was something she could honestly say, she NEVER EVER envisioned or planned for. Much less when Tabitha did it as the Princess of Galia, Charlotte. She almost rejected her, if she hadn't seen the steel behind those eyes. Louise, even if she had done nothing but practically order them to go on this mission, had apparently earned Tabitha's eternal loyalty. Taking a page from her strange familiar, she leaned down to Tabitha's level, took hold of her, and told her clearly. "I am thankful for your loyalty Charlotte. However, I couldn't have done this without Tabitha and Korra. I cannot accept your offer of fealty Charlotte. However, I would love to become closer friends You."

She decidedly ignored the slight amount of red that appeared on Tabitha's cheeks at the time. Just like she ignored Korra's heckling. She may accept that the Southern Lands were barbaric enough to ignore the words of Brimir, and allow two women to get together, but she would NOT do as Korra suggested.

ANYWAY, since they needed to get back to avoid suspicions from the Galian King, and to participate in the Familiar Talent Show, they took Tabitha's mother to Louise's main house, where they explained the situation to her mother.

Louise was honestly surprised by how quickly Karin accepted after Louise asked for her to help. She expected it to be much harder to be honest, but with the time constraint, she was glad it hadn't. Karin then provided both of them with a signed letter, explaining that they had both joined her on one of her jaunts to old military friends, which she assured, would say they had been there, despite NOT having been there. So they spent a bit of time getting the story straight, before heading back. But not before Karin had ordered them all back soon. She had been staring straight at Korra as she ordered them to come back… Louise knew that Korra was strong, but her mother was known for facing and defeating armies and Elves singlehandedly. She hoped that her mother didn't kill her familiar and friend.

 _'That is for later though, we are nearly at the academy, and can I say how awesome it is that we are flying on a dragon. A RHYME dragon to boot. Leave it to Tabitha to have a legendary and supposedly extinct race as a familiar.'_ Louise once again ignored Korra's poking at how they were meant to be, what with both having rare familiars. Louise had to remind herself that Korra could probably fly with her wind manipulation, so she shouldn't push her off.

 _'At least no one else will be a challenge for the top two spots.'_ Louise got a pretty vicious grin at the thought of showing up the rest of the school.

 **(I am the father of the line above. He has my genes.)**

 _'Wow. This loop is full of classic fantasy adventure situations. Apparently we missed the attempts at the schools vault by a famed thief. Then we find out Louise is childhood friends with the country's princess. Said princess sneaks into Louise's room at night after the talent show… when we were celebrating first and second place with Tabitha, who somehow managed to sneak away from Kirche. Which was actually a good thing, since Tabitha managed to put a privacy spell which kept that two-timing idiot Guiche from listening in on the conversation, which just so happened to be a FRIGGIN SUPER COUNTRY SHATTERING SECRET! Seriously, you would think that the princess would have her own personal guard or assassin or something that could do this, or that she would have enough common sense to NOT SPOUT SECRETS THAT COULD DESTABALIZE HER COUNTRY WITHOUT FIRST VERIFYING THE AREA!'_ Needless to say, Korra was not happy with the Tristania's princess. A sentiment shared by the quiet blue haired girl who was giving them a ride straight to the port city.

Although Korra was sure that Tabitha would follow them the whole way, regardless of this 'trusted guard' that princess had gotten to help guard Louise on the trip to and from Albion. _'Which happens to be at war by the way. Yeah, I think that princess deserves to lose her position, sending an untrained teenager to deliver a secret and super important letter to the losing side of a war in an island in the sky.'_

She kept this all to herself though, since it was clear that Louise thought incredibly highly of Henrietta.

Thankfully, the trip should not be long with Sylphid's help.

 **(I choose to be a line after I had my accident)**

 _'It is official. This loop is just full of clichés. So, the guard Henrietta sent, just so happened to be Louise's pedophile fiancé, who is CLEARLY a bad guy. What with him trying to muscle his way into the room the three were sharing by telling them he already had another two rooms prepared, one for 'The Familiar' and one for them, since they are engaged. Although it was amusing watching Tabitha beat that idea down with a single word. Never thought the word 'No' could carry so many intonations and meanings from a girl who usually speaks in monotone… while speaking in monotone… I swear, the Elcoor could take lessons from her if they are going to try another play… God I hope she starts looping now. I have to see how their meeting would be. That does remind me again to the fact that I have no idea who the anchor is again… Whatever.'_

 _'Anyway, after Walden, or Walarch, Wallwhatever. Clearly evil guy, came over to 'take over' the guard, after challenging me to prove that I could not protect Louise adequately, which I refused, repeatedly, we were 'suddenly' attacked by this 'legendary' thief Farfetch, or something. During which, Louise was kidnapped by Goateed Pedo, leaving Tabitha and myself to fend off the giant golem.'_

Needless to say, Korra quickly took the thief down, by trapping her inside her own golem. They find out the thief is actually the school's secretary, Miss Longueville, _'Another strike towards the people running this country,'_ who had been hired by, _'Surprise surprise,'_ Goateed Pedo. They took her wand and quickly chased after the ship that Louise was on with the Evil Pedo.

Korra was pissed. Sylphid was pissed. Tabitha was visibly seething.

Pedo would not last long once they caught up.

 **(Hey again. I am that line from the beginning. Miss me?)**

Louise was in shock. First, she is separated brusquely from Korra and Tabitha by Wardes when they are attacked by Foquet. Then the ship they are on is attacked by pirates. Who turn out to be the Albion Prince and army in disguise. Then on the way back the entire ship is nearly sunk by Korra and Tabitha, who threaten everyone if they didn't release her.

It was actually really sweet when Tabitha was the one threatening to bring the ship down and kill everyone onboard if they didn't deliver her to them unhurt.

Of course, immediately afterwards, they looked kind of stupid when they were informed by her that they were attacking the person who they initially NEEDED to meet with.

Then things got really out of control when they pulled her behind them and attacked Wardes. Louise tried to stop them… Until Wardes admitted that he was in fact part of Reconquista, and proceeded to attack the Prince, nearly killing him if a fellow soldier hadn't pushed him out of the way and died in his place. After that, Korra and Tabitha threw him of board with a combined wind attack.

And here she was, being cradled by Korra and Tabitha, as she cried over the situation. She had just found out her fiancé, one of the few people who accepted and supported her growing up, was a traitor to her country. So she remained there until she fell asleep in their arms.

 **(I -)**

 _'Well, it is official. This is a pretty sad loop. I understand the Prince's decision, but I still feel he is wrong. If I wasn't worried about this damn stealth anchor, I would have gone full avatar and destroyed the opposing army. Then we had to watch as the princess broke down, despite it being her and his decision. I swear, next time I am in this loop, this girl is getting pranked. HEAVILY. Then Kirche comes from nowhere when we all get back to the school, complaining about Tabitha and Louise having a grand adventure without her, and then betrayal, woe, and whatnot, before she pulled us all onto a treasure hunt… With a bunch of fraudulent maps. Somehow Guiche decided to come along. After a while, facing orcs, goblins, some kobolds, and a bunch of fake or crappy treasures later, we landed on a REAL treasure. In the village of Tarbes, home apparently to a maid who used to work in the school, before she was apparently hired to a Count Mott. I got a shiver down my back at the dead look that the girl's parents had in their eyes when they admitted that, but I was also glad for it, because it seemed that it was what Louise needed to finally get the fire she lost in Albion back. Tabitha had been at the girl's side the entire time, getting her back bit by bit, but it was clear that she needed a goal, just like I had needed when Asami told me that the world needed the avatar. That the world needed me. Here Louise had found a purpose again. To do her job as a noble, to protect those she had sworn to protect when she accepted her lineage and title. We were then lead to the Dragon's Raiment, an old Japanese war plane Asami had shown me pictures of during one of our shared hub loops. That is when things got interesting, I touched the plane, and immediately got complete knowledge on how to use, maintain, and even dismantle and put it together again. They then pointed out that my runes were glowing. A few experiments later, and I JUST, after months of having this darn thing, find out that this thing gives me mastery over any weapon I get my hands on. Which includes war machines, like the fighter plane.'_ Korra grinned greatly at that point. _'Asami is going to be so jealous.'_

They then set off to check on Siesta, but first, we would be stopping in the city to pick up a few weapons, since Korra wanted a see about testing her runes further, as well as getting Louise something, since her explosions were only useful at distance.

 **(Line trio)**

 _'Okay… that could have gone better. So we find out Count Mott is a rapist pig… which lead to Louise learning a new spell. One for her branch of magic. Turns out, which I had suspected based on how cliché this loop is and the fact that no known spell works for her, that she is a void mage, and the prayer book that Henrietta gave her was the original void mage's, and contains all his spells. More annoyance at the bastard that set up a stagnant and crappy monarchy for over six thousand years, the book only shows a spell that the situation demands, when the person most needs it. In this case, it was a massive explosion that wiped out the mansion out of existence. Louise's impending breakdown at her action was not helped when she managed to kill one of the attacking guards with the shortsword she had taken to wielding after I explained that she needed something in short range to defend herself, and Tabitha pulled out a dagger she had hidden Yggdrasil knows where to prove my point. That brought up my thoughts on her being a stealth looper or anchor again. So yeah. We are now wanted criminals.'_ Korra sighed.

She looked over to where Tabitha and Louise were. Tabitha had been there immediately when Louise's actions caught up with her. Korra was glad, since she wasn't good with such a situation. Thanks to Tabitha's prompt and heartfelt actions, Louise seemed to be getting over the situation much quicker than Korra would imagine.

They were heading to one of Kirche's hideouts. After the situation, Guiche had refused to leave, saying that explaining the situation would be enough for them, as they were in the right. No one else agreed with him, so Tabitha took the catatonic Louise onto Sylphid, and Korra and Kirche barely got on in time before she flew off.

As expected, soon, there was a notice from the crown, that they were all traitors, and that Guiche would be executed soon. They had been planning to go and spring him out… if Reconquista hadn't decided to show up at Tristinia's doorstep, and blown up Tarbes.

It took little arguing from Louise before they were in the air again, this time heading towards the Reconquista fleet.

 **(Line)**

 _'What is it with this loop and sexual predators?'_ Goateed Pedo turned out to be alive, until Louise angrily erased him from existence alongside most of the enemy fleet. Then they all dropped in on one of the remaining ships and commandeered it, after tossing out its original crew. Korra and Kirche were a bit worried at how callously Tabitha and Louise dealt with their enemies. Korra had lent Louise Derflinger, a talking magical sword she had picked up when in town, since she had dropped her shortsword back at Mott's place. Turns out Derf, after being fed some of Louise's magic, regained a lot of his memory, even more of his memory than when Korra had removed the rust and sharpened him with some metal bending.

She had sworn that his ability to eat and store magic had to be used for something. She was right, turns out, Derf can control his wielder like a puppet, if the wielder is unconscious, dead, or completely willing.

Louise was completely willing, and although she became sore after each time Derf took over, she became an unmatched swordmaster. Six thousand years of being a sword and wielding by all sorts of masters can do that to someone.

Korra attempted to avoid killing whomever she could, as did Kirche, but as Kirche only used fire magic, she failed a few times. Tabitha and Louise didn't bother trying to hold back. One, because she had been doing such things since half her age, and understood that she didn't want them getting back up to harm her, or her friends. The other, was angry. Her entire world had been uprooted several times in under six months, every time she was coming around from the last issue, a new one popped out, and she finally had targets that she could release her rage and frustrations on.

After they were done, they quickly set the ship on a roundabout course to pick up Guiche from his prison in the capital city. Hopefully such a distraction would be more than enough for them to get the fool and escape.

 **(Blah)**

Reconquista was no more. While the new group, which included the freed Guiche and Fouquet, had taken to traveling the land incognito, the war had escalated. Germania had betrayed Tristain while they had taken their troops to Albion, by not sending any of their own forces during the attack. So Tristain was forced to retreat when Reconquista attacked during a universal cease-fire holiday. Then Galia came in and wiped out Reconquista and taking the glory.

Immediately afterwards, Galia took over the severely weakened Tristain. The king had just released the news, that there would be a grand execution taking place to rid the world of severals 'evils' that had led to their situation.

Former Princess Henrietta was at the top of the list, after her ordeal before the war, where she had been caught, attempting to escape with a revived Prince Wales, before being stopped and detained by some loyal Griffon Knights, was released to the public. Needless to say, after all the comments that Korra and Tabitha had of her actions, even Louise didn't defend her too hard at that point. Apparently she understood that if you're going to regret your actions to the degree that you run off with a ghost of the man you fell in love with, then you shouldn't have allowed the original separation and death to occur. None of them really felt like rescuing her, although Louise and Guiche did make a mention of it.

That was quickly turned around by Henrietta's name being immediately followed by the Valliere family. The list named the now former Duke, and his eldest daughter.

Karin's and Cattleya's name were not listed. Thankfully, there was a wanted notice for both of them, so they expected that they had tried to detain them at home, and Karin had decided otherwise.

Knowing that her mother would NEVER allow her family to be hurt, considering that she hadn't even hunted down Louise after becoming a known traitor, the team decided to go and rescue Louise's family and the princess, plus any others they could while there.

But even with the expected support from The Heavy Wind, they needed some method of distraction. The answer became easy with a new spell that the Prayer Book had given Louise.

She and Guiche would be on the outskirts of the city, and create an illusion of a Germanian army coming upon them with Louise's new spell.

Meanwhile, Fouquet would lead the rest underground, to pop up near the prisoners, and 'kidnap' them taking them back through the tunnels with her earth magic and Korra's earth bending. They decided it would be faster to kidnap them then free them and try to lead them away. Hopefully, they could run into Karin to join up. Afterwards, they would escape and take them all to the hideout that Korra, Fouquet and Guiche had built for Fouquet's charges, which happened to be a half-elf and a bunch of orphans. They had barely gotten to them when a group of brigands, remnants of Reconquista's army, had attacked them, intent on taking the girls for their 'fun'.

Fouquet and Guiche both had their own moments then. She, for helping them kill the scum and save her family. He, because he had finally cracked completely, realizing that he had been heading down the same path of Mott and scum like them. Needless to say the entire group, Korra included, had hardened at least a bit during their adventures. Louise the most, especially as she continued getting more spells from the Prayer book, and continued working her physical skills with Derf's help, since she still had nothing else for close range combat, at least, nothing to help knock out or kill her opponents. A few tips from Korra had led her to use a few spells, like dispel and illusion for medium to close range combat, as supports.

Tabitha, surprisingly enough, had been affected as well, but in the opposite direction. She had been more open to everyone in their group. She had been a bit worried about her mother since she became a criminal, but was assured that if Karin had not attempted to hunt her own wayward daughter, that she was probably still keeping her word and protecting her. This was further proven when Karin and Cattleya were not part of the captured Valliere members. As an aside, she and Louise had most assuredly gotten closer, each other actually leaning on the other constantly now. In a weird seesaw of emotional support. And as Tabitha opened up more, releasing a smile or two to the group at large, although she showed those in private to Louise quite often, the rest of the group settled their hearts a bit and slowly returned back to their own selves a bit.

Korra helped out where she could, as she was the oldest and most experienced one there. They even got Guiche to start flirting again a bit.

They set everything up for their soon to be joining escapees, and set out to thwart a large scale execution. Every single one of them strode confidently towards their next battlefield.

 **-H-**

Karin earned her status as a badass. Korra had seen MANY powerful and ridiculous loopers in her time.

Karin was not a looper.

Korra wouldn't bet against Karin in a fight between her and many a looper.

Louise could deal with armies thanks to her OP Baseline ability of being a Void Mage. Karin could do the same with her mastery of her Wind magic, tactical mind, and hard-won experience. For someone who was retired for over twenty years, she put to absolute shame the army that came out to meet Louise's illusion. Korra felt Awake TENZIN would be hard pressed against the women as she was, and shivered if the woman ever started looping. Especially with the words she responded to when it was pointed out that she was doing 'pretty well' for a retired housewife.

"I live by a single absolute rule. The Rule of Steel, and chief among it, there is a single question that must be answered every day. 'Am I stronger than I was yesterday?' For the last forty years, not a single day has the answer to that question been 'No.'"

Needless to say, the rescue happened without a hitch, and Fouquet had covered all their tracks thoroughly, proving why she had been renowned among all four neighboring countries as a master thief. Oh, and Louise, Korra, Fouquet, and the rest were all shaking in their shoes at the thought of what Karin would do to them for having been wanted criminals before her.

 **-H-**

Okay, Karin took the main team to go pick up Cattleya and all those that she had evacuated from her main home, which was a sizeable amount. Then she took the main group, and her family aside, and proceeded to hug Louise and the rest of her family, shocking everyone present, except maybe the Duke.

Then she proceeded to rip a new one from Louise and all her friends for their stupidity. Then praised them for doing the right thing. She was a BIT iffy with Fouquet, but after a few questions agreed that she was in the okay as well.

The relief from the group was palpable. Which turned to joy when Cattleya glomped Louise.

They spent the trip back to the rest of the group and their hideout talking. Korra, Louise and Tabitha were mainly interrogated by Karin and Cattleya on the way.

Bright side? When they arrived, no one tried to squabble about taking charge of the now, much larger group when they all returned, since Karin was present. Oh, and Karin and Cattleya both accepted and liked Tabitha, which Korra made ample opportunity to tease the officially accepted, unofficial couple.

Not so bright side? Karin handed leadership to Louise, and no one, including Louise, had any idea of rejecting the other, and more proficient, one woman army present. Korra felt that she might be able to beat Karin… but wasn't willing to bet on it. Much less over something like this.

So Louise now had a small army, mainly consisting of Valliere guards and maids (who despite NOT being mages, were probably more accomplished than many of Tristain's mage corps), along with a few nobles and military personnel that were actually worthy of their titles. Oh, and of course former Princess Henrietta who had decided to subvert herself into a healing role, Karin the Heavy Freaking Wind who would be taking charge as main advisor for military matters, and the rest of their initial group. Korra the avatar, who was keeping her skills down to avoid any trouble with the stealth anchor. Guiche, who had, thanks to Fouquet and Korra, become much more competent in his craft, being on the border of Triangle Class Earth magic. Kirche who was on the same point in regards to almost reaching Square Class. Tabitha and Fouquet who both HAD reached Square Class, putting them at near the top of their forces, despite Tabitha's age. And of course, Louise herself, who, although limited to just her void spells still, had a much more competent list of spells, and was even capable of casting some of them through Derf, which made her that much more dangerous at multiple ranges now. She had even succeeded in finding a way to have Derf get only PARTIAL control of her, allowing her to cast spells freely while Derf focused on using himself at close range quarters. Although she herself was coming along quite nicely in regards to her swordplay, it is doubtful she would ever get to Derf's level, so she was quite content to allow him control of anything physical during combat, while she focused on her magic.

After a few back and forth conversations, they finally decided that they needed to get rid of the Mad Galian king, but only after he showed his true state of mind, which Tabitha promised would be soon. For now, they would train, train and gather information for the inevitable conflict.

 **-H-**

 _'A bit over three years since I was summoned to this world. By far, not my strangest, or worst loop, but it has had points across the scale on both ends. The little girl that I first met back then, known as a failure, known as Zero, is now to be the new Queen of Tristain. Yet she retains her title of Zero. They had started calling her Louise of the Void, before she crushed it, and told them to call her Louise the Zero. It was quite a moving argument about new beginnings and whatnot.'_

And so it was, Joseph de Galia, showed his madness, when he started a massive military recruitment, with the sole intent to destroy Romalia. Tristain, being a highly religious country, behind only Romalia itself, had a huge outcry, which Louise and her group rode to a successful revolution, with Joseph running back to Galia with his tail between his legs. Soon afterwards, Romalia itself attacked and destroyed Galia's army and monarchy. With Joseph's death, Tabitha stepped forward as Charlotte de Galia, and took her place as the new Queen of Galia, with her fully healed mother as an advisor.

It was quite obvious how much it hurt the happy couple to be separated so, but they worked around it by creating a formal alliance between the two, which came into full circle soon, when knowledge that both Queens had been, and probably remained in a romantic relationship, had Romalia up in arms, and decrying them both. Claiming heresy and for their execution. The people were split. On one hand, they finally had competent rulers, especially after Joseph in Galia, and Henrietta and Mazzini in Tristain, rulers who were making proper changes and decisions that seemed to finally be leading their countries to a prosperous future. Especially when Germania went ahead and threw in its support behind the two countries, forming an official alliance with the both of them. On the other side, Romalia was the head of their religion, a religion that was all they had known since Brimir gave them magic over six thousand years ago. And that religion clearly stated that Queen Valliere's and Queen Charlotte's relationship was heresy.

And that was what they had to deal with afterwards, Romalia knew it could not win in a direct war with all three nations, even if Galia and Tristain were recovering from two separate wars, they were still capable, and Germania was completely fresh, having stocked up their forces, expecting war, but avoiding it for almost four years. So it instead tried to rouse the populous to oust their heretical queens. Even going so far as to excommunicate them from the Church of Brimir.

The reactions among the three countries were unexpected. Tristain was expected to have the worse reaction, but after having had incompetent rulers, who allowed their 'nobles' to do as they wished for decades, even the most religious commoner was unwilling to cast away their first ruler who did as all nobles promised upon taking their titles. She quickly dealt away with corrupted nobles, gave them to those who deserved their titles, used her recovering army to give the people peace and protection from bandits and the like, which were much higher after two wars. And then started overturning old laws that put down commoners with no explainable reason, and set up new ones that had people succeeding based on their skills, rather than their blood and connections. Once Louise and her family were excommunicated, Tristain gathered behind their beloved queen and gave Romalia and the Church of Brimir the collective middle finger. Germania, with the Zerbst family at the lead, went ahead and did the same, laughing their collective asses off, happy as they threw off the shackles that Romalia had previously held on all of them because of their religion.

Galia on the other hand, was a more morbid affair. The people loved their new queen, BUT, they were afraid of both, the blood in her veins, which was that of the Mad King Joseph, as well as the might of Romalia who had recently destroyed their army singlehandedly. Beyond that though, they were also grateful for Romalia, who had freed them from Joseph de Galia's rule, even if only as an after event from Queen Louise's rebellion in Tristain weakening him and his forces. It took the combined might of all three countries heads and influential people constantly attempting to explain and persuade them before they settled down. However, settle down they did, stubborn in avoiding more bloodshed of any kind. As such, they would not dispose of their new Queen, who was healing their country, nor would they go to war with Romalia.

Romalia took that as enough of an incentive to manage a surprise attack at Albion, which had a token guard from Galia, Tristain, and Germania, quickly conquering it, and gaining a jump off point into invading all three countries.

Soon the fires of war were lit again, as Romalia attacked Tristain and Germania, separating the two in an attempt at destroying Tristain quickly, before taking on the much larger threat.

 **-H-**

 _'So ridiculous. So much blood. So much death, all because of that ass Brimir and his legacy. My childhood, Wardes, Albion, Fouquet and Tiffania's former lives, Tabitha's parents and country, and then all those lost in wars generated by Galia and Romalia, who I find was behind the damnable Reconquista the entire time. All because they wanted Brimir's power, and felt that it was heretical for anyone but the pope to have such a power.'_

The war had been relatively short as far as most in Halkegenia's history goes… but it had been bloody. Mostly on Romalia's part. Romalia's pope had revealed himself to be a void user, like Louise, and had gone forth bringing two human familiars, like Louise had… like they had found Joseph had had. They brought weapons of unbelievable power to destroy their enemies in the quest of slaying the 'heretics' as they claimed. They were powerful, managed to destroy entire villages in instants… but the Alliance had already evacuated all those living in the path of Romalia, so they were just showing off their power thankfully.

Despite the use of flying ships with powerful weapons, and Jormugands, giant metal golems, with defense against magic, it meant nothing to the alliance. Germania, thanks to the work of the Zerbst family and ex-Professor Colbert, had developed their own incredibly advanced airships, which although weaker, were more maneuverable and numerous. Tristain had Louise, whose spells cut through the magic resistance of their weapons like it wasn't even there, and Korra whose bending seemed to be completely unaffected by the defenses as well, although they claimed it because she was a familiar of the void, she didn't correct them. Then there were people like Fouquet and Karin, who used their minds alongside their magic, burying the golems, so that regular commoners with proper equipment could simply disassemble the golems in peace, or creating natural wind and thunderstorms with their magic, that downed their airships, avoiding the magical resistance altogether. Romalia fell soon afterwards, right after a confrontation between the Pope and the heads of the Alliance met, where he revealed the truth of Louise and her void magic.

Tabitha was the one to strike him down, pure, unadultured rage on her face, visible for the first time for any of them. For it was the pope that led Joseph down his path, that caused Wardes to do as he did to Louise, that lead to all these wars and Reconquista. Thousands, tens of thousands of deaths, all on the Pope's head.

But that was just the start, it merely showed how corrupt the church was, requiring just as thorough a cleansing as Galia, Tristain and Albion needed.

Korra stood by Louise for it all, even when she approached the elves for the first official peaceful meeting between humans and elves that had happened since Brimir's time.

Korra had been by Louise for six years, helping her grow and become the Queen she was. Louise had been officially married to Tabitha for almost six months, and been officially dating her for almost three years (Unofficially for almost four and a half.). She had just had the first successful meeting with Elves in over six thousand years, allowing Derflinger to tell his tale to the Elves, of Sasha the Elf, the first Gandalfr, the truth of the rise and fall of Brimir. They had even agreed to a second meeting to attempt to start building official bridges between the two races. Six thousand years of bad blood thanks to the actions of one madman had been long enough, and both sides wanted it to end. She had gone to sleep, Lotte, as she had asked her call her while not in formal settings, cuddled into her side. Happy with her life, and how things had turned out since her summoning, despite the rocky moments, and the blood and tears shed from everyone. She closed her eyes staring at her blue haired half.

 **-H-**

She woke up alone in her old bed back in the Tristainian Academy of Magic.


	9. Halkegenia Loops Ch 01

**A/N:** And now we begin breaking Louise. Enjoy!

-H-

Louise was in a state of panic. Not that anyone would be able to tell from just looking at her, she had gotten too good at keeping her appearance regal and emotions in check thanks to her mother and wife's teachings.

It was a close one though.

 _'What is going on. I go to sleep with Lotte, after a successful conversation with the elves, not to mention as a twenty-two year old. I wake up alone, back in a bed and room I haven't seen in over five years, and sixteen years of age, if my calendar is correct. Not that it is too obvious in regards to the physical aspect… aside from loss of muscle mass and scars I look the same… Goddamn it! Now I can't argue against all those assholes who spouted lines of jailbait queens and whatnot…. I need to punch Kirche.'_

After that thought, Louise calmed down a bit, and tried to once again observe and catalogue the situation.

 _'Okay. Calendar says today is the Springtime Summoning Ritual, so I will meet Korra again soon. Have to botch my magic a bit to create the smoke cloud… or should I? Thoughts for later. I need to see if anyone else, particularly Tabitha have also come back in time. I need to use the coming void day to go pick up Derf as well. The sooner I get him back, the better. Hmm… Well, that is all that matters at the moment, once Korra is here, we can see about getting Lotte and talking. It might be a bit difficult, but if neither of them came back with me, I should be able to prove my situation to them with all I know of them and the future…. I just realized I barely know anything about Korra… Outside a few stories she has told about her adventures and lover back home. Well, I can most definitely use this as an opportunity to fix this countries problems sooner, and save more lives. Now that I have my magic as well… check later to make sure I DO in fact still have access to my spells, and sneak into vault to get the Prayer Book for those I have not memorized. Anyway, it should be easier and smoother this time around. Maybe make Henrietta take the damn job as Queen herself so I can spend more time with Lotte.'_

Mind made up, she finished changing and decided to head down to breakfast, hoping she still knew her way there.

-H-

Kirche was confused. Pleasantly confused, but confused.

She had arrived at breakfast and noticed that the Zero was different. She was still the same washboard, with Zero sexiness… but there was something different about her. There was something in the way she carried herself, something that drew the eyes to her in a way that had never happened before. She didn't even seem to notice as she walked past them all and sat at her usual spot to eat breakfast.

Kirche gathered herself up and decided to test this new development like she always did, by poking the prickly kitten that was Louise until she blew up… or blew them up.

"Morning Zero! Are you ready to be embarrassed when you fail the summoning spell as well?"

Louise merely glanced at her in something akin to amusement, she even had a single eyebrow slightly raised. "Kirche, how good to see you again! I had this horrible dream where I was in my mid-twenties and my back was breaking thanks to having a massive pair of sagging udders on my chest. I needed to allay my fears by confirming that it was you who was going to suffer such a fate."

Well, if that wasn't a backhanded slap across the face.

The entire present student body awaited The Ardent's response to that powerful strike… and waited… and waited… until Tabitha stepped forward, lowering her book a tad bit, looking at her much taller and filled out friend.

"…K.O…"

Louise, who had gone back to eating snickered. "Sorry about that, but I had been saving that one for a while. Join me for breakfast Tabitha?"

Tabitha just sat in response and started nibbling on a bagel as her eyes never left her book.

Louise appeared content with that, as she smiled beautifully at the slightly shorter blue haired girl, before turning back to her meal. Although a more observant person may have noticed the tinge of sadness that flittered through her eyes for an instant.

Today was an important day after all.

-H-

Louise was a bit bummed that it seemed neither of them had come back to the past with her, her Tabitha would not have sat across from her, nor would her Kirche shut down like that to her attack, since Fouquet was the one who had first used it on her. Still, she would make due. She had become friends with both of them once, and captured Tabitha's heart as she took hers, and she would do it again. She was more than worth it.

As Louise walked around the school, greeting the few maids that walked past, she realized that she still had a few hours before she had to appear with the rest of the class for the ritual summonings, and decided that waiting five days to meet up with her partner was too long. So she snuck up to her room, and cast an alteration to a spell called 'World's Door' from the Prayer Book. She hadn't actually cast that spell proper, since Derf told her it would send her into an alternate world, which while sounding intriguing, was most definitely NOT the right time for it. Korra, Tabitha and Karin were all one hundred percent behind Derf on that, although Korra did say that later, when she had more time, it would be an interesting adventure. _'Time which I now find myself with… Food for thought.'_ The premise of the spell though, to create a portal to another location, was promising, especially when her wife was two countries away, instead of in sharing her bead. So, with help from researchers who were most interested in learning more about the fabled void, along with Derf and Korra, who both had suprising aptitude for magical alteration and construction, they created an alternate spell, which worked on the premise of the summoning, call summoning, and world's door spells, to allow her to create portals to locations she had previously visited, or to magical signatures she knew deeply. This allowed her to jump to any family member or close friend, as well as to areas she had clear pictures of. It was rather difficult WITHOUT a magical signature, so she tended to imbue something with her own magic in areas she tended to frequent, but she could still do it without such assistance with enough concentration.

Seeing as how she had no such markers in the past, concentration it was. She had to focus on a clothing shop she was well used to, considering all the times her own outfits were destroyed by her misfired spells in the past, as she had only visited the weapon shop where they bought Derf once, but it was close enough. She managed it after only twenty minutes. Imbuing tea set with her magic as a marker to make the return trip easier, she opened the gate, and stepped through, arriving right in front of the shop. Thankfully, the street was relatively empty, so no one noticed her sudden appearance, although it wouldn't have mattered if they did.

She quickly asked for directions, as she didn't really recall where the weapon shop was, and headed towards it. Her heart beat with anticipation as she neared the dirty and smelly shop. As far as her mind was concerned, she had only been parted a few hours, but considering how often the sword had saved her life, and how close they were thanks to how she allowed him access to her body practically without notice since the damn sword had better instincts than her, she had honestly felt naked without it.

Annoying though he was, he was her partner, as important to her as Lotte was.

She entered the shop, where the seedy, rat looking man turned a baleful glare in her direction, until he noticed her brooch with the Tristian Academy of Magic seal on it. Suddenly he was all sparkles and smiles.

"Hello dear Noble Lady, I assure you, my shop is perfectly legit and above board. Nothing improper going on around here."

Louise almost rolled her eyes, and wondered if this was one of the shops her campaign as queen had dealt with. The man couldn't have been more worthy of distrust if he held a sign. _'Something else to consider for later.'_

"Calm yourself. I am here as a customer, nothing else."

The man visibly relaxed and perked up simultaneously. Somehow.

"Oh, I have fine stock here for all your guard's needs, or if you need something to decorate a room or hall."

Recalling how the man had tried to sell her friend, trash that didn't even qualify as a weapon, before Derf called out to them, she decided to play the same part again. Didn't want the greedy man to attempt to oversell Derf if she went straight for him. She had an even more limited wallet than before. "I need something for two people. One prefers swords, hand-and-a-half swords." Then she wondered what to get Korra. With the Gandalfr runes, she could use any weapon, but tended to use her bending, as she called it, instead. Bah, let's get her something that won't impede her movement then. "The other is more of a rogue. So I would like to look at your selection of short swords or daggers afterwards."

"Of course, of course, one moment as I get the good stuff from the back."

What followed afterwards was almost identical to what happened the first time. Only this time she didn't have to Korra to test the weapons, for ACTUALLY being weapons, but she felt she did a decent show of testing them. It was strange, her body had reverted back to its physically weaker teenage years, but she was able to greatly bolster her abilities with some use of her magic, kind of like Derf used to when he took over, so as to help her body heal faster from their 'training', as well as to prevent some damage when he was forced to push her body further than it would normally be able to, so as to get out of sticky situations.

She had actually been doing so instinctually for years now, thanks to her criminal lifestyle, followed by participating in two separate wars back to back. Not to mention all the cleanup in-between.

As she expected, when she pointed out what CRAP the golden sword was, or rather, the brittle golden sword shaped stick, Derf broke into intense laughter and called out to her 'good' eye.

She calmly sauntered over before reaching in and pulling him out of the barrel. "And what do we have here?"

"I, little lady, am the great Derflinger!"

"Shut up Derf! You are constantly running all my customers out of the shop!"

"Bah, all of them were blind stupid bats!"

Louise arched her eyebrow. "Are you saying I am blind or stupid as well?"

"Of course not, you did well in spotting those poncy fakes."

Louise smiled. "How much for this one?" she asked casting a single eye towards the merchant.

"You can have him. I lose more money with him here."

She turned back to face Derf fully. "Well then Derflinger, guess you and I are partners now." She gripped him firmly before turning to head back to the counter.

Derf burst out laughing, "Something tells me that you are going to be fun. Partners it is little lady."

"Louise. Call me Louise. Now, how about you help me pick out some daggers and another sword for my friend?"

-H-

Kirche was once again confused. To be fair, she hadn't actually left said state since her initial confrontation with Louise earlier.

After her brain rebooted thanks to the sounds of Miss Longueville beating up Professor Osmond for attempting to look up Kirche's skirt, she left the cafeteria for the courtyard they would be summoning their familiars. All the while, thinking about Louise and her response.

She realized what had caught her eye at the beginning. Louise always went around boasting in her knowledge and eventual ability, head always held high, boisterous, confident, and temperamental.

All of it an act. Kirche, unlike most of the students, and even teachers in this school, knew that Louise did have a great potential, otherwise every single one of her spells wouldn't blow up like a grenade, but the constant failures, and put downs had hurt the girl. When no one was looking, the fire that Kirche was attracted to dimmed drastically, her head fell, her shoulders sagged. She was knowledgeable, no one could deny that, but everything else was merely an act. She barely held unto the belief that she claimed anymore. Kirche knew, that today would make or break Louise.

Yet, when she saw her this morning, Louise walked with TRUE confidence. She carried herself better than many, if not most, of Germania's royalty. As if she knew who she was, and her place in the world. There was no act in Louise this morning.

And then her response. Crisp, and sharp. She didn't sputter, there was no hint of her usual explosive temper or fiery nature. It would even have been considered VULGAR by the standards of the Louise Kirche knew, something that she would normally have been forced to drag out of the Tristainian. Instead, Louise used it immediately, and without warning and a glint in her eyes that Kirche had never seen before. To say Kirche was surprised would be an understatement.

And now? Now she watched as the target of her thoughts came into the courtyard late. The area already having a few familiars that had been summoned present. Strange enough for the girl whose sole good points among the staff were her excellent grades on theory and impeccable attendance record. But Louise decided to make it weirder.

Strapped to her hip was a sword…

-H-

Louise had a rather amused smile on her face. After Derf had helped her buy a couple of daggers, and an extra sword for Korra, she then went into an alleyway, and imbued one of the shops backdoor with her magic before opening a portal back to her room.

Needless to say, Derf had been impressed. Both that his new partner was a void user, as well as her grasp of the magic, considering it was a spell he had never seen before… and he had been around the original void user. She quickly caught up with him a bit, before realizing that his memory was incredibly spotty, and cursing herself for forgetting that Korra had removed the rust on his, and helped sharpen him with her bending, which allowed him to recall most of his abilities and memory.

That in mind, she apologized to Derf, and promised him that she would help get him cleaned up and sharpened before she strapped him to her hip, and headed down to the ritual summoning event. Eager to meet up with her first real friend, as well as the one who helped her in becoming who she was. Who helped her become someone she was proud of. Who tore down all the misconceptions and barriers she had placed on herself, or been placed on her. Who cleared her eyes, and allowed her to see others and herself as they really were. Who helped her connect and get together with the greatest woman she had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Who helped her become a Queen.

A legend.

So eager was she that she completely forgot how anyone would respond to her showing up with such a 'barbaric' tool as a sword on her hip. Even if said sword was over six-thousand years old, and had more magical abilities and intelligence than most of them ever would.

Hence her amusement. Her classmates had turned around and started ribbing her for carrying Derf, making disparage comments about how she had finally noticed that she was no mage, and decided to resort to wielding a sword like a commoner. Oh, how she wished to simply quick draw Derf and level it at the loudest one's throat in a show of power. Which she knew she couldn't do without Derf taking over her body in her current condition, sadly.

Surprisingly enough, Kirche was NOT part of the rabble laughing at her. Nor of course, were Tabitha or Professor Colbert. She was honestly surprised by what Mister Colbert was able to pull off with the help of Korra, when they started creating airships with the Zerbst families backing. She was however, glad that he had accomplished his dreams, him being one of the few people who truly helped and believed in her before she became the True Zero. She would have to see about releasing Jean, the Flame Snake though. Karin had been disappointed in how much Professor Colbert had let himself and his skills rot in his quest to forever avoid combat again, and it had put a bit of a strain on their former friendship, something Louise wanted to avoid this time.

Plus, Kirche was right, The Flame Snake was amazing with his blue flames and the precision he commanded them with when he had been forced to fight to protect others. Despite having been INCREDIBLY rusty, there was definite proof as to WHY he had been one of Karin's teammates.

With those thoughts in her head, she practically ignored as Professor Colbert quieted the class and told them to proceed with the summonings.

Louise was pleased when Irukuku, otherwise known as the Rhyme Dragon Sylphid, was summoned again by Tabitha. She had been a blessing to everyone, both as a quick method of transportation, as well as a constantly cheerful little sister character that brought them all together.

When she wasn't eating enemies…

Eventually her turn came, although this time, there was no Malicorne calling her out for being last.

She quickly, and confidently chanted out the spell, and decided against causing an explosion to avoid pissing Korra off again from the start.

She shouldn't have worried.

For instead of Korra, there was a short, black haired and eyed boy, no older than her, wearing some weirdly designed shoes and jacket. Even more so than Korra's.

The shocked silence from Louise was not broken, even as her class burst out laughing again, and the strange boy started speaking in another odd language.

-H- -H-

Louise woke up in a cold sweat.

Which was strange considering her last memory was being impaled through the chest, her heart failing miserably thanks to the rather large hole that should not be there.

As she looked around, she noticed that she was back in her room at the academy, and her calendar once again told her it was the day of summoning. She decided to just lay back in bed and curl up.

After she had gotten over the shock of her summon NOT being Korra, she tried speaking with him, before casting a translation spell on him, which raised a few of the smarter people's eyebrows, and then completed the ritual to make him her familiar, although she kissed him on the forehead, before watching him scream and throw himself on the ground holding his hand.

Korra apparently hadn't been kidding about the pain, nor her tolerance to it.

Which proved to Louise how amazing her first and in her opinion true familiar was.

It only got worse from there. Turned out Saito, as he called himself, was a pervert… well, Korra was one as well… sorta. But at least she was good about it, and an incredible gentleman about it… which was strange considering she was a girl, but whatever. Saito was an unrepentant pervert, who would probably get along well with the early Guiche… if they hadn't pissed each other off, one for being successful in HAVING female partners, and the other for RUINING his two-timing… Korra had destroyed Guiche verbally, and then physically when the same situation occurred.

Saito? Saito joined Guiche at the bottom of the totem pole were human scum gathered when he opened his mouth. Although beating Guiche with the skills of Gandalfr and the weapons Louise had prepared for him did apparently make him super popular with the servants in the academy. Including a certain maid. A Siesta of Tarbes.

THAT, Louise was happy about, since it allowed her to get involved with the maid before Mott arrived, and actually purchased her contract, so that when Mott showed up, and brazenly attempted to buy her, Louise was able to trick him into dueling her with Siesta as the prize for him, against his entire property and currently held contracts, both of his servants, any open projects of his, business ventures, etc etc. Anything with the word contract in it that he owned, would be hers.

Louise was almost surprised by either his COMPLETE stupidity, or his utter confidence in his skill to beat an academy student. Or maybe just her in particular, since she was rather famous for being incompetent with magic.

Needless to say, she had him sign both a contract proving the terms of the duel, as well as a waiver in case anything happened during the duel, in front of Professor Colbert, Osmond, and Miss Longueville. While Osmond and Colbert debated and tried to argue against the duel and conditions, Louise looked at Fouquet and sent her a wink and smirk, before stepping a bit away from where the 'men' were arguing.

"I think you will be pleased with the outcome of the match. Do come by my room for a conversation later."

Without giving her a chance to question her, she approached the 'men' and helped get things squared away.

An hour later, she was facing down Mott with Colbert as the referee and most of the school watching. Many in anticipation for watching a Triangle mage in action, many in anticipation for watching said Triangle mage put the uppity Zero in her place. Some in fear for what Mott would do to her, which she was happy to see. And then there were a few, four really, who watched in anticipation as to whether the Zero was actually hiding more than pain behind her façade.

She was happy to note that all four were part of her old gang.

She was happy to note that there was also another two groups. Mostly consisting of the commoners and Saito, split between hatred that the nobles were using Siesta as a prize to be won, and the others hoping that Louise pulled off a miracle and won against the known monster.

No sooner had Colbert started the fight, that Mott summoned several water snakes. Louise just calmly drew her wand. She ignored his boasting and offers for her surrender, eventually, after letting him run his mouth a bit, she decided to cast a wide-range dispel. The look on his and everyone's faces when his snakes all lost cohesion and fell to the ground in puddles was rather satisfying. It didn't get boring anytime soon either as she kept erasing all of his spells.

It was actually amusing to watch Colbert attempt to end the fight since it was clear that Mott would NOT be able to beat her, since she could cast her dispel quicker than he could cast any of his spells. Of course, the pompous rapist refused, before loudly boasting, that she could not win with just that spell, since she could not hurt him, and that she would eventually tire before him.

Funny thing, her magical capacity and strength were things that came along with her memory when time reversed, and she had had more magic than him when she was ten.

As he kept throwing out more and bigger spells, which really meant he just summoned more and more snakes, some bigger with less numbers, some smaller with more numbers, regardless of what he did, she just continued casting the same spell and breaking them up over and over, until Mott had his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.

At that point, most of the student body was between shocked at Zero apparently about to win the fight, and slight boredom at how the fight turned out. It was also when Louise started taunting Mott.

There may have been some comments about little girls, rapist, small penis, and a few other disparaging comments, which made many in the crowd blanche, or grow red knowing how close to the truth Louise probably was, but the main goal, that of making Mott enraged enough to run at her for good ole fisticuffs. Needless to say, Colbert tried to interfere, she didn't give him the chance.

Having already gotten a few materials and tools from the kitchen to clean and sharpen Derf, plus feeding him magic, had him back at near full strength again. Most students couldn't follow her movements as she pulled him from his sheath while sprinting towards Mott. Most simply saw Louise with her sword buried in Mott's chest, before screams filled the air.

Louise enjoyed the feeling. There were few people she had TRULY wanted to kill before, and he was most certainly one of them. Right behind Wardes.

The school was in a tither afterwards, but Louise was legally covered, and as such, the new owner of Mott's entire estate, fortune, and titles. All of which she gave to Fouquet when the thief bravely showed up that night as Louise had asked. Together, with Siesta and Saito present, and even some input from them, started planning for everything that they needed to do, as well as getting the info she needed of Reconquista so that Louise could ACTIVELY act against members she knew to be a part of, but had no proof of.

Her next task, was asking Fouquet to join her to move Tiffania and the children, and wasn't springing that on Fouquet a nasty surprise, out of Albion, which was currently at war. This was accomplished with Tabitha and Sylphid's help, along with a small 'borrowed' pirate ship that Louise and Tabitha had liberated. Then Louise and Tabitha rescued Tabitha's mother again, this time being healed by Tiffania, Tabitha once again pledged herself to Louise, and things seemed to be getting back together.

…Except, thanks to her actions, the Talent festival was postponed, which meant missing Henrietta and her request, which meant Wardes ended up getting the letter after killing Wales, spreading it out, which destabilized Tristain badly, with the corrupted Chief Justice taking over with a council of equally corrupted individuals, which THANKFULLY included Fouquet. This forced Louise to ONCE AGAIN become an outlaw, by killing the bastards, only, in this case, unlike Joseph, they hadn't shown their hands as being evil. And Louise could not give the right people, nor the populous proof fast enough to justify her actions, without giving the three bastards enough time to fortify themselves and start helping Reconquista directly, which would have destroyed Germania with it being attacked from three different countries. Four if Romalia decided to act.

So she sent Kirche and Tabitha to explain the situation to Germania, and Saito and Siesta to her own home to explain it to Karin and her family, while she went alone to kill the bastards in one fell swoop, since Fouquet had managed to get almost all the corrupted nobles in a large meeting for the 'future' of Halkeginia.

Kirche's team was the only one to succeed. Well, completely at least. Not that Louise knew that.

Saito, being an unknown, had been detained at the Valliere compound, although Karin did interrogate him, she refused to act on his words beyond tightening up security.

As for Louise herself. Well, she managed to give the signal to Fouquet to excuse herself from the room, before she blew the castle up with her overpowered Explosion spell, successfully killing all those inside the room. However, she was then chased by the complete forces of the Manticore, and Griffon forces. Louise was powerful, and thanks to Derf, she was fast and strong… but she could not beat such a large aerial force, not without killing them, which she was NOT willing to do on loyal subjects of the kingdom who were merely doing their duty. Nor could she escape them, unable to even cast her portal spell with how doggedly they chased her.

So it was that Louise found herself eventually on the receiving end of a rather strong wind lance that she could not dodge or block with Derf, it going straight through her heart and out the back.

-H- -H-

Louise woke up in her school bed for the fourth time after going back in time. She was pissed now. She had once again summoned Saito, despite her deliberately messing up her magic to cause an explosion like the first time. This time, she decided to NOT make waves, and try to play it off like she did the first time… but without Korra or Tiffania, she could not heal Tabitha's mother. Since she had taken too long trying to get over her death, she had failed to get Derf or any other weapons, so when Saito got pulled into another duel with Guiche, he got his ass handed to him, until Guiche tossed him a sword.

Since the doctors refused to treat a 'commoner', Louise was forced to waste a good portion of her funds on medicine for the idiot. Although she did get Derf back on Void Day, along with a nice collection of random and shiny swords for the fool, after accurately threatening the rat who owned the shop, since she did not have the funds to buy anything but Derf. And she needed to vent a bit.

She used the time at night when she was cleaning, sharpening and polishing Derf to connect with Siesta, who she had come to like on the last loop, despite not getting to know her too much thanks to all the chaos and her attachment to Saito.

Louise even found out that the servants ate better than the nobles thanks to her.

Louise had taken to training during the day with Derf instead of going to class, since she had already gone no less than thrice. Plus, she was the single most powerful mage in the school, bar none. Although she was not that confident in facing the likes of Osmond, Colbert or Tabitha, she was certain she would beat everyone else, including Fouquet, since she tends to underestimate opponents unless they were giant automated metal golems or Karin is nearby.

Now, during one of her training sessions, Siesta comes up to her, with a basket, saying she had missed lunch, and as such, Siesta went and brought her some leftovers from the kitchen…

The leftover soup and sandwich? Easily twice as good as her usual fare while sitting with everyone else.

So Louise had started to join her familiar during meals in the kitchen, and had come to like the staff a lot. After a while, she also learned just how bad things were. While Old Osmond did his best, his influence only went so far, and Marteau had told her when she managed to convince Mott that Siesta was hers, that there were many cases like that, only most girls weren't as lucky as Siesta to have a true protector.

Louise shivered at her memory of her first encounter with Siesta, a seeming eternity ago, just another one of Motts toys, broken. She also shivered at the leer and pat that Mott had given Louise when she told him that Siesta was hers, and as such not available to him. Hearing him exclaim how he understood what it was to go against social conventions, and that she had good taste, she had to scrub herself hard after that, and ran straight to Tabitha, glomping the confused girl and silently shivering. To Louise's growing love of the girl, despite being confused, and not being close to Louise yet, Tabitha put her book away, and started rubbing circles on her back while rubbing her head.

After that situation, she dragged Colbert with her, and had Marteau tell them both everything that had happened, and to whom.

To say that Colbert and she were disgusted was like saying water was wet, obvious to everyone with any knowledge or common sense. To say that she and Colbert were furious, was like saying that Albion was high, a MASSIVE understatement.

She and Colbert both affirmed to Marteau that he or any servant should come to either of them immediately should anything similar happen in the future, and Louise took the list of those who had gotten away with such acts, and remained in school.

Colbert had been curious as to why. When they began showing up in the infirmary without sexual organs, both the males and few females, Colbert was stunned, despite having seen the girl training hard with her sword, he had not expected Louise to do something like that, but made no comment on it when he saw her afterwards. Whether because he approved, or because he figured that she was Karin's daughter… Louise wasn't certain.

After that, things went pretty normally, until the talent show and Henrietta's mission.

This time, Louise went with Saito and Guiche, who had been sneakily hearing in again, only this time, without Tabitha there to prevent him from hearing, so he had forced himself aboard. They had been travelling on horses when Wardes showed up.

It was all Louise could do to avoid blowing him up or cutting him down, when he introduced himself as the guard that the princess had sent to aid them and Louise's fiance. It was MUCH harder when he tried to take her with him on his Griffon, or to take Derf from her since it was such a barbaric thing for her to carry, and unneeded by a lady like herself.

She managed to somehow talk him into carrying Guiche with him. She was laughing on the inside the entire way to the port town at his facial expression when he realized she had tricked him into taking the blonde with him instead of his 'lovely fiancé'.

Then, they were attacked on the way there by bandits. The same ones who helped Fouquet in her first timeline, attacked them BEFORE they arrived, and Wardes fell upon them like a 'hero'. Well, Louise made sure to tell Guiche and Saito that he was a shining example of what NOT to do in a magical battle. Both, scarred as they were at the sight they had given witness to, agreed with the crazy pink-haired girl who had just blown up the entire cliff side with its company of bandits and one Griffon Knight, hoping she wouldn't unleash her magic on them as well.

Shortly afterwards, Tabitha and Kirche landed next to them, showing that they had followed them, and had been prepared to help them when Louise took them all out, 'sadly' killing Wardes with her powerful magical blast in the 'confusion' of the battle.

The rest of the trip was smooth sailing, seeing as how Louise had contacted Fouquet before the talent show, giving the thief the Staff of Destruction, and even teaching her how to use it, on the basis that she acted as a spy for her side. There was also the whole promise of getting Tiffania and her other charges to the safety of the Valliere care as well.

Then things went wrong. Turned out that this time, the fake pirates… WEREN'T fake pirates. That Reconquista had hired all ACTUAL pirates and had already killed Wales and the rest of the Royalists before they got there.

Sadly, she didn't realize this until AFTER they had been captured and their weapons removed. Louise had actually managed to get a couple of her spells mastered to the point that she could cast them through Derf instead of a wand, and even managed to cast Dispel without anything, as it was simply too important to her combat style to be able to cast that spell without any kind of focus… but that was it, and that spell was useless against the metal manacles attached to them.

Knowing what would happen to them if things continued, no doubt helped by the leers and taunts of the scum who guarded them. Louise did what any self-respecting time travelling Noble who happened to have a TON of power at her hands. She attempted to cast Explosion without a focus and ended up blowing them all up.

Hence her being so angry. She hadn't noticed it before, but looking at her new set of memories with much more scrutiny, which came with her each time she came back in time, she noticed inconsistencies with her 'original' memories.

In this timeline, she noticed that unlike her original ones, Karin was much colder, and it seemed that Guiche was more serious and NOT two timing. The rest seemed the same, but the slight change, meant that Guiche was much more hateful of her, and Louise had apparently attempted suicide twice, before stopping just short in her attempts.

It was then that the implication hit her.

 _'I am not just time travelling… each one of these is different. These AREN'T my world, they are each different, even if only slightly.'_

Louise just spent the rest of that morning in her bed, realizing she had lost those she cared about in more ways than one.

-H- Continuation

Louise awoke to her door being slammed open, showing a nearly visible flaming aura around her, Kirche charged into her room.

Louise hadn't felt like doing anything about anything after her earlier revelation, but after listening to Kirche being Kirche, with Tabitha in the corner reading her book, as only her Tabitha could, Louise decided to hell with it.

Kirche promptly lost her voice, flame, and mind as a naked Louise promptly left the confines of her sheets, walked over to Tabitha, and proceeded to kiss Tabitha with enough passion that The Ardent herself felt a bit hot under the collar. Needless to say, Tabitha herself was shocked as well, which Louise took as a victory, considering how stoic and unflappable the girl normally is.

 _'Who cares if it isn't my original world. Kirche is still Kirche, Tabitha is Tabitha. If some of them are a bit different, it doesn't matter. Heck! Until the summoning ritual I didn't even have ANY of them as friends, so who cares if they ARE different. I will just treat them like new people each time until I find a way to stop these loops.'_

"Sorry and thank you for bringing me out of my funk Kirche. Am I too late for the summoning?"

Kirche just nodded dumbly.

"No biggie, I have decided to stop fooling around and purposely flubbing my magic attempts, so a familiar is of little concern, I will try for one next year." Then she turned to face the mostly recovered blunette. "That also means that I will no longer just watch you from afar. I am going to be actively courting you now, so look out my dear." A smirk clearly visible on her face.

Despite being in her birthday suit, and known through the school as The Zero, neither of the two interlopers would refute her words, and instead felt shivers travel down their spines.

Exactly WHAT emotion or emotions caused those shivers, depended on the young women in question.

-H- -H-

Louise had been right.

Every single loop was slightly different. She had already been doing this for a while now, and had come no closer to realizing why she was looping, nor how, but had been anything BUT idle in her time.

Recalling each previous loop as a new lesson, Louise set out to learn from it and get stronger. Her mother's words clear in her head.

Surprisingly enough, despite the many loops and their variations, her mother seemed to almost always be the same. Sometimes she was a bit colder than others, but it was always the same women, following the same Rule of Steel. And as of this point in Louise's life… the one person she completely feared to face in battle one on one.

Louise had taken her mother's highest rule, the one of personal strength, to always be stronger than she was the day before, and STILL, her mother was a challenge.

Unlike the others, whose power remained the same, and she could easily defeat. Heck, she had on more than one loop, destroyed the entire Reconquista army, BEFORE they got to Wales and his last holdout, ALONE, and WITH handicaps.

Karin remained a very real challenge.

Bidashal? The freaking ELF that she tended to run into occasionally, either defending Lotte and her mother, or trying to get them back? A pushover now, once she managed to get past his counter, he was no threat.

Joseph? She had copied his Acceleration spell and IMPROVED on it a long time ago. Heck, his familiar was more dangerous, since if Louise killed Joseph first, she tended to blow everyone up with those damn firestones.

Vittorio, on those apparently odd occasions when he was evil? _'And wasn't that a shock, the man she had hated more than Wardes, turned out to be a good guy most of the time…'_ Piece of cake.

Saito when he came as a member of some military or combat branch from his world? Even if equipped with his enhanced firearms or weapons, Louise found little challenge in it anymore.

Entire fleets and armies where no match unless they had innocents as shields.

Karin? Karin, despite her strength remaining approximately the same through each loop, had MORE than earned her reputation and title. Her mastery of her element was to such a degree, that short of a surprise attack with a super wide range AoE Explosion spell, Louise could not guarantee a victory since it seemed Karin was ALWAYS combat ready and never let her guard down.

Karin was incredibly smart, had many years of experience, with incredibly dangerous opponents or bad odds, including her time looping daughter, and has come out on top using her mastery of tactics, element, reflexes and pure badassness.

And damn if Louise wasn't incredibly proud of her.

And even more of her wife over all these iterations. Lotte was always at least a Triangle Wind mage upon her new loop, and always, barring early death on Louise's part, ended up as the second coming of Karin and Queen of Galia.

Even INCLUDING that one time where her twin sister had turned out to be evil and replacing Joseph as the Mad Queen of Galia, making Tabitha act as her shadowy assassin, and Louise had failed to summon anyone and as such had somehow ended up in charge of a group of intelligent if 'evil' goblins attempting to make her their evil Overlady, managed to marry the woman of her heart.

Although they did happen to accidently conquer all of Halkeginia with the combined might of the Galian forces under Lotte, and her own 'evil' forces, which included her vampire sister Cattleya…

Worst part? Not the strangest variation of her world and history she had dealt with. Heck, once Cattleya was ACTIVELY poisoning herself to ACT sick, to avoid marriage proposals, so that she could keep an eye on her little sister. Apparently, she had realized immediately that Louise was a void mage, and needed to keep an eye on her, to protect her from people like Wardes. That was one of the few loops where Louise saw Karin have a difficult fight against someone who wasn't herself.

Seriously, Cattleya had a water elemental as a familiar that time! She didn't even know that was possible!

Needless to say, after those two loops, Louise kept a closer eye on her supposedly 'weak' kind older sister, but had yet to find her to be different from her original…

 _'This one promises to be rather unique though.'_ Louise thought as she stared at her newly summoned familiar. Who was NOT Saito or any of his variations.

Nor that weird time she summoned Siesta. Seriously awesome seeing the usually weak, _'Combat wise, as there was nothing weak about that girl's determination and personality. Sticking up for Saito against nobles as a simple maid.'_ Running around with a pair of reinforced cestus and beating everyone up. It was a bit weird to see her shacking up with Kirche instead of Saito though… even if Kirche seemed to chase EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HER SUMMONS… except that time that she had none, and replaced them with an 'evil' army of course…

Instead, before her was what could only be described as a child. One with a REALLY big red nose, nasally voice speaking in what Louise had learned was English, thanks to a few of the smarter versions of Saito teaching her, along with the standard Japanese of his usual hometown. He also wore a red hat of some kind, and a weird striped shirt.

"Hey! Wanna play with me?"

As her classmates starting laughing at her summoned Familiar, something inside Louise, some kind of instinct from the beast contained in the void itself screaming at her, telling her to destroy the menace before her.

Too bad Louise didn't trust that thing and as such, stubbornly refused to listen to it.

-H- -H-

"HOW THE HELL DID HE MANAGED TO CRASH ALBION INTO TRISTAIN?! EVEN WITH MY MOST POWERFUL OF SPELLS! HECK, EVEN WHEN THE ANCIENT DRAGON ITSELF DECIDED TO RESIDE AND FIGHT THERE! ALBION NEVER DIPPED A FRICKING INCH! AND HE CRASHED IT INTO TRISTAIN!?"

In a most interesting twist for the school, Louise had merely shown up at the summoning, told their professor she needed a drink, and then proceeded to open a portal before them all and step through it, leaving everyone behind completely baffled.

Tabitha had somehow managed to track the sobbing pinkette to The Charming Fairies, a relatively nice bar with good waitresses, and a monster of a host. Truly, Scarron did his name justice with how many people he scarred.

She sauntered over to Louise, sat beside her, and pulled Louise's head into her lap, rubbing a hand on her back and eyeing the stressed girl who had been forced to listen to Louise's cries and complaints.

It took a while, but Louise eventually calmed down, before looking up in slight confusion at the bluenette who had been assuaging her worries and soothing her… like her wife of many times tended to do in the few instances that Louise was hit with something new and needed support.

"Lo-Tabitha?"

Tabitha shook her head. "Told you… Lotte when alone."

Louise's eyes widen at her comment, before she jumped her, throwing both of them on the floor, and sobbing even harder on her chest, this time in a combination of relief and absolute joy.

Tabitha merely drew circles on her amazing wife's back while caressing her long tresses.

-H-

Tabitha, had eventually been able to get a waitress to get them a nice private room, for a nice tip towards the bar and waitresses, and then proceeded to carry her petite, if not as much as herself, wife towards it. Ignoring the looks that people sent towards the duo, Tabitha continued walking, using some wind magic to help support her charge, until she was in their room for the night, and laid down on the bed with Louise still on top of her, seemingly fused to her.

"Since when? What do you remember?"

"…Fifth time. First time, was after you had vanquished Reconquista alone. Then with Fouquet, saved mother with me. Tiffa healed her. I gave myself to you in honor as a knight. You brushed it aside. You became my knight instead. Helped me save my country from my uncle. With Henrietta married to Wales, and me to you, we had a big alliance. Romalia complained about our marriage, but would not move against us, since even Germania had backed us. Peace. You single-handedly brought us all peace. Even with the elves. Yet no one besides the royalty knew it."

She took a breath, happy with her increased ability to speak in not just full sentences, but full paragraphs. Although, clearly, her younger throat was still not used to it, as she summoned one of the glasses nearby and filled it with some water from her spells.

"I was confused. One moment, I was happy in bed with you. Then I woke up alone at school. I thought it had all been a dream. I remember everything we had done, but I also remembered another set of memories, which stopped to the summoning day. Nearly killed myself. The dream was too real. Too harsh. I thought my uncle had been the cause, purposely causing me more grief, trying to kill me."

Louise rose and suddenly, Tabitha was the one who found herself being comforted by the other.

"But then… You came bursting through my door. Kirche had been banging on it, and I ignored it. Tired. Yet you came through the door, smile on your face. You dragged me out. Changed me, and took me to the breakfast. It was just like normal, when I didn't want to get up and be the Queen of Galia, you dragging me to work. I relaxed, and followed you. That time you went straight to saving my mother first. You left your familiar behind, telling him to defend the servants, after giving a big speech to the school about his word being yours. I saw you beat Bishadal like he was Guiche. At that point, I didn't care if what happened before was a dream. You had captured my heart again."

Louise blushed a bit as Tabitha took another drink from her glass and snuggled closer to her wife.

"Then it happened again, I was a bit more prepared this time. I even tried a quick square class spell I had learned the second time. It worked. I realized it was not dreams. I was travelling in time. And so were you. I ran down to your room, I was happy, truly happy. After everything life had taken from me, it had given me something better. It gave me you. And I had you for eternity." Tabitha could feel the heat Louise was generating by that point. It gave her incredible comfort. "But when I opened your door… you weren't there. Kirche came behind me, wondering why I was breaking into an empty room. Then my memories kicked in. There was no Louise. I… I never made it to the summoning… Kirche took me to the infirmary after I fell asleep from crying so much."

Louise drew the slightly smaller girl completely into her embrace, Tabitha curling up into her as her voice broke. "I am so sorry Lotte. I am so so sorry. The worlds aren't the same when we go back in time. Sometimes I have even been a commoner with no magic… well, based on my memories, I still actually had my magic. Sometimes you have been replaced with your sister Josette… one time you were the Mad Queen of Galia… I understood what Sheffield had to deal with Joseph that loop… You were the void mage that time, and I your familiar. And you felt nothing, nothing at all. I tried so hard to bring you back to the Tabitha I first fell for, to the amazing woman who made me realize what romantic love was. Who made me realize that Brimir and his religion are a bunch of assholes for trying to keep us apart. …I… I succeeded, just like Sheffield, I succeeded. Dying in your arms that night, you cried frantically as you tried to staunch my bleeding, ordering me to live with desperation I have never seen from you before… Despite how cruel, how apathetic you had been until then… At that one moment, you were the woman I decided to be with for eternity. It made me happy. It assured me I was not wrong in trying to be with you each time, no matter what."

Tabitha pushed her head deeper into Louise's shoulder. "You did. I woke up the next day to you and Fouquet breaking into the school. You then fought everyone in the school with just Dispel and your sword until I came out." Tabitha chuckled, lightening the somber atmosphere almost completely, as Louise tried to hide her face in the smaller girl's short hair at that particular loop. "'Halt' you cried to me. 'I am the great thief Leblanc, the Legendary Zero! I have broken into hundreds of homes and left without robbing a single thing! For I am above petty things like that, no! I search for the greatest treasure in the world! And today I have found it! You young lady have it, and I shall take it, so says I! Leblanc the Zero!' I was so shocked, I didn't notice as you picked me up and dragged me towards where Fouquet was finishing up emptying out the schools Vault." Tabitha chuckled again. "I may have made it easier because I was in fact your Lotte, rather than Tabitha, but you did manage to steal my heart again. You went down in history as both the worst but most successful thief. Having only stolen the Throne of Galia for her queen, and the heart of said Queen."

"I am sorry. I have been going through this much longer than you can imagine. I may have become a bit stir crazy. And that time I had been born to some Albion farmers before meeting Matilda, the woman who became Fouquet, so I decided that it would be fun being a thief from the start this time, instead of just becoming a criminal after the summoning. Despite helping Fouquet, I thought it would be great to become a thief after your heart. It would be the first time I tried it like that and since I was a 'commoner' that time again, it would be the only way… and… and you are worth it. I want to be able to make you happy every time. I want to make you look at me the same way you do now, every time. No matter if by the end of the eight years you would forget me completely. It didn't matter to me if I had to start from scratch each time… you were… you ARE worth it. Completely and utterly worth it."

Conversation ended rather abruptly as Louise finished saying that while staring into Tabitha's moistening eyes. Neither could say much when their tongues were too busy exploring the others mouth after all.

-H- -H-

"This is new."

"Definitely the first time I find myself in space… and my memories tell me we are nowhere near Halkeginia."

"Any idea?"

"Seeing as how everyone else is RUNNING away from those creepy glowing blue monsters and what looks like mini-Jormungands, with advanced automatic rifles?"

"Rifles?"

"Oh right, Saito changes as often as the world itself, and a few of his iterations came with this automatic muskets that he called a rifle. Those look like better sleeker versions of his."

Tabitha nodded as she absentmindedly sent several of them flying with a quick wind spell, before pinning them all to the ground with icicles.

"So avoid getting shot. And destroy them."

"…You know, I am not entirely certain I was so straightforward in my original time… I distinctly remember being a supposedly wise queen… No wait… I was part of four wars and won my place through force… never mind, let us go destroy these golems and monsters."

-H- -H- -H-

"Thank you two for your assistance… If it wasn't for you… I would be dead by the hand of someone I thought my friend."

Louise looked over the lucky _'Turian, my memories tell me he is a Turian. An Alien race… this is definitely the weirdest variation to date'_ that they had managed to save by chance. They had just finished saving a small group of what appeared to be soldiers before continuing on into the heart of this mess, the more fit ones right behind the two strange civilians who were tossing strange biotics that created icicles two feet long that pierced right through the geths armor and shield like they weren't there, and the other one throwing out small blinding white explosions that vaporized an area better than any singularity/warp combo any had seen before. They eventually ran across the scene where one Turian had a pistol at the base of the others skull, before Louise activated her improved Acceleration spell to its max, speeding and tackling the dark red one to the ground just in time to avoid the shot, before the soldiers and Tabitha started firing at him, forcing him to retreat.

"Don't worry about it. We were in the area taking out the enemy, there just happened to be one who nearly got the better of you due to close relations. It happens. God knows the amount of times I have been shot or stabbed for not being careful or taking things like who was trustworthy for granted."

Nihlus had an amused look, that no one present really recognized, seeing as how none of them interacted with Turians often enough. And why wouldn't he… here there was a human girl, in civilian wear, without a single weapon, who looked to be, at best, entering her teenage years, claiming to have personal experiences of someone four times her age might have, and in a completely different profession.

Then she lifted her hand, said 'Explosion', and Nihlus immediately readjusted his impression of the young girl who tackled him to safety, when he saw a tram full of Geth suddenly lose most of its passengers from the knees up in a bright white explosion. He was still regaining his thoughts when the SMALLER blue haired girl lifted her hand and Spikes of Ice materialized out of seeming thin air and shot forth and took out the remaining Geth with no difficulty.

"Sorry about that, it was such an easy target with all of them bunched up together that I just had to act on it. Well then, take care of yourself, and choose your friends better, we need to head over there to see about finishing off these things."

Nihlus watched as the two girls immediately ran towards the tram that had been recently occupied by the Geth, the three soldiers following immediately, and decided that they had the right idea. He quickly brought up his communication device. "Shepard, warning, we have a rogue specter by the name of Saren Arterius. Take heed, he is extremely dangerous. I am going to be heading deeper towards the beacon with a small group of survivors who have been pushing the Geth back. See you there."

-H-

Commander John Shepard stopped his run for a second... _'That's new.'_

-H-

"So you're telling us that we are part of a huge multiverse, held together by a giant tree name Ygraddasil, that is like computer- and thank the world door for taking me to modern day Japan, otherwise neither of us would know what a computer is, even with the memories that come with this world. Anyway, because this computer broke, they set all our worlds into a time loop to preserve us until the admins, which are basically real gods, unlike that bastard Brimir, fix them?"

"Pretty much."

"And this has been going on for how long?"

"No one knows exactly, the original seven loopers have been around for billions, if not trillions of loops already…"

Both the Halkeginians just stared at Shepard in shock.

"So yeah, welcome to the Multiverse!"

-H-

"I have played around with muskets from our world, and even some guns from Saito's world when I head over there through the world door, but I have to admit that these things FAR outstrip them all. I can't wait to screw around with these and many of the things I wanted to take from Japan into Halkeginia now that I can carry them in my pocket."

"…cheater."

"Oh Tabitha, your pocket is also really big. Shepard was complaining about the size difference from when he first got access to his."

"All you magicals tend to have ridiculous Pocket sizes from the start. I still can't believe it. You both have had less than a couple hundred loops and have pocket sizes to match some who have been around for thousands or more. Especially you Louise."

"I have the same power that a man in my world used to uplift himself as a god among humans, building a religion that spanned millions of people for over six thousand years, completely uncontested, until Lotte and I decided to marry, which is against Brimir's faith… That reminds me. Shepard, do you know a Korra?"

"The avatar? Cute girl, controls fire, wind, water and earth? Couple with Asami?"

"So she is part of this as well?"

"Yes, how do you know her though? If you met her, than she should have given you the speech."

"I wasn't looping back then… I actually looped right afterwards. You have no idea how confusing it was for me to have summoned someone else instead of Korra. Thinking that there was something wrong. It would be nice seeing her again. Since she was a big part of the reason for who I became, and for finding my proper half."

She said this while looking at the bluenette by her side, who had a light dusting of pink on her cheeks as she stowed away her weapon set into her locker.

"Well, I am sure you will get the chance. Although, to have that as your first memory is quite strange, since it most definitely is NOT your baseline, seeing as how she is a looper native to the Avatar universe. I wonder which admin is in charge of your loop, to have made your first memory a fused loop."

"Does that not happen?"

"We will occasionally loop into stable worlds with no native Anchors or Loopers, which yours technically was when Korra went there. Although she should have had an anchor with her, as she is not one. I am guessing that YOU became the anchor for that loop, which means your admin specifically did so. THAT is what is strange. Most admin start the anchor after a normal baseline run. So either your world is so corrupted that attempting baseline is impossible, which I am not sure IS possible, or your admin has a sense of humor on par's with Monkey's."

"Whose monkey?"

"He is the admin for Red vs Blue. He made an autistic, brain damaged man who tends to kill anyone who asks him for help or replaces his best friend Church in a loop. I honestly don't believe there is ANY other universe which has had as many crashes to total loops a ratio as those guys. It doesn't help that they ASK for Eiken as a VACATION instead of a punishment loop."

"…do I want to know what that is?"

"I already told you not to purposely crash your loop or you will have a punishment loop, as for what those are, I will let you find out when you are forced to crash due to an MLE or because you experimented with something you shouldn't have."

-H- -H- -H-

Louise was ecstatic. It was one of those rare times that Saito was different, which meant that Saito's WORLD was different. Those were always exciting, since Louise simply took a jaunt over to his world with the World Door spell, to enjoy the vast differences.

Sure, her own world was never quite the same, but it was almost always the same blueprint.

Saito's world, was not. Usually, it was Japan, with no visible variation that Louise could tell, unless Saito was different. Soldier Saito? War-torn Earth, where everyone is in mercenary companies. Louise learned a lot about firearms and explosives there, not to mention guerilla warfare. Samurai and Omni-usha Saito? Fuedal Japan. Louise was already a great swordsmistress thanks to Derf, there, she proved it and refined it further among people who actively attempted to reach mastery of their chosen blades.

So, Louise actively looked forward to those loops where Saito was NOT a pathetic perverted fool whose only redeeming quality seem to be his iron morality, and guts.

Of course, him being a Demon Hunter, was a first, and he ACTIVELY did NOT want to go back after she explained her world, and her ability to send him back. Needless to say, Louise was intrigued, greatly, as that had been one of the constants throughout her existence. Saito, would ALWAYS want to go back.

Even better? Lotte was with her this time! Sure, Louise had managed to drag Tabitha with her all those other times, just like she won her heart and hand all those times too, but having her Lotte with her from the start? Louise was giddy with excitement.

Especially since this would be the first time Lotte would be going to the other world available to them thanks to her spell. Although it is an altered version as compared to the original. The original required all four Void Users to be present and pool their forces together to create the World Door. Thanks to Colbert, Lotte and herself, they also found a NATURALLY occurring World Door in the sky.

This got Louise working on a standalone version of Brimir's spell. Since Louise KNEW that Brimir did NOT have three counterparts, and the naturally occurring one didn't even use Void magic, she felt that she could do one herself.

Not to mention she had enough magical power to cast the original by herself fifty times over anyway.

It took a while, but she succeeded.

So there she stood, fully armed, with a letter of introduction and one of his own firearms each, ready to jump through the World Door to this Saito's home world… which was apparently fused with a demon world and overrun. Most of humanity was dead thanks to that. So he reiterated, shoot first unless it looks human. In that case, unless they are fighting demons themselves, warning shot first, keep guns aimed, and ask them of their business. Up to you to decide whether they are human or demons in disguise by that point. If they were fighting demons when you met, introduce them to your letters.

Don't die.

Then he went back


End file.
